GUIDE to WORKING with Scouts with Special Needs and Disabilities Introduction
GUIDE to WORKING WITH Scouts With Special Needs and DisABILITIES INTRODUCTION ince its founding in 1910, the Boy Camp Facilities The Boy Scouts of America national standards for camp Scouts of America has had fully facilities state that sleeping areas, dining facilities, toilets, participating members with physical, bathing facilities, and program facilities for persons with S disabilities must be available. The Engineering Service mental, and emotional disabilities. The first of the BSA provides accessibility standards for camp facilities that include barrier-free troop sites, latrine Chief Scout Executive, James E. West, and washing facilities, ramps, and tent frames. had a disability. The Americans With Disabilities Act requires the removal of architectural barriers where it is readily While there are troops composed exclu- achievable. Examples of this might include installing ramps, repositioning shelves and furniture, widening sively of Scouts with disabilities, experience doorways, rearranging toilet partitions, and installing has shown that Scouting works best when accessible cup dispensers at water fountains. such boys are mainstreamed—placed in a Scouting Is for All Boys Clause 20 of article XI, section 3, of the Rules and regular patrol in a regular troop. Regulations of the Boy Scouts of America reads: “Clause The best guide to working with Scouts 20. Members who have disabilities. At the discretion of the Executive Board, and under such rules and regulations who have disabilities is to use good common as may be prescribed upon
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