When 12-year-old Gabriel went to CNIB Lake Joe for the first time, he immediately felt at home and accepted. It was, after all, the first time he found himself surrounded by other kids who are blind or have low vision.
“When I first arrived there, it gave me a feeling of comfort and inclusion. I just felt really happy there,” he said.
While Gabriel, who was born with sight loss, has loving friends and family, being at CNIB Lake Joe – the only fully accessible camp in Canada for people with sight loss – was where he felt like people really “got” him.
“I started to create pretty close bonds with some of [the other kids],” he said. “You can talk about the struggles that you have and the different ways you deal with it.”
At CNIB Lake Joe, people living with sight loss and their families can enjoy the same recreational pursuits as other Canadians: archery, campfires, gravity-defying treks up a 32’ climbing wall, and so much more.
While there, Gabriel tried canoeing, tubing, and even driving a pontoon for the first time. With the support of the community around him, he felt his independence grow.
“Lake Joe has given me a lot of confidence […] and a lot of courage to go into the deep end and just have fun.”
Beyond giving campers the safety to push themselves to their physical limits, CNIB Lake Joe is also a place of refuge for people who are blind or low vision to feel comfortable being fully themselves, free of judgment and barriers.
“Going to camp made me feel like I wasn’t alone,” Gabriel said. “There’s so many people and so many kids out there who are dealing with the same things I am.”
Gabriel, who still regularly keeps in touch with the friends he made at camp, also participates in CNIB’s Tween Zoom Hangout every Thursday, where he hangs out with even more friends who have sight loss from across the country. And in his everyday life, he enjoys the company and responsibility of taking care of Terry, his CNIB buddy dog.
With these supports and connections in place, Gabriel can take the confidence and courage he’s gained at Lake Joe and apply it to every facet of his life. He looks forward to enjoying more CNIB Children and Youth programs – and many more trips to camp – in the future.
“I’m very grateful,” he said. “I can meet new people in a very nice way, there are a lot of things that I can do there that are interactive – and they make me feel included. Personally, I think it’s better than Disneyland!”
Thanks to our donors and supporters, children and youth who are blind or low vision can enjoy year-round programs that help them play, learn, and live with confidence and independence. To support our Children and Youth programs – and so much more – please visit HelpKidsPlay.ca.