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DREAMs' mission is: To make the Flathead Valley accessible for all people through awareness, coordinating networking, and increasing accessibility. We seek to enhance and promote the self-esteem and physical well-being of participants of all ages and disabilities.

Some of the listings below identify camps available to all children, while some are especially for children who have disabilities. It is also very likely that your community has summer camps or recreational opportunities available that you won’t find listed here.

LINCOLN CITY - They may look strange, but they have a true purpose. What appear to be devices out of a science fiction movie are actually specially designed wheelchairs to help the disabled navigate outdoor recreation areas in Lincoln City.

The National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD) is positioned to effect change in health promotion/obesity management among people with disabilities through its existing 13-year history of providing advocacy, services and programs to numerous organizations and people throughout the country. The primary focus of the Center’s approach is to collaborate with the nation’s leading health advocacy and disability organizations in linking them to the hundreds of program initiatives ongoing across the nation, and using this framework to build inclusion and integration into these existing programs.

USTA Serves awards program grants twice a year to programs that support at-risk youth and people with disabilities through tennis and education programs designed to improve health, build character and strive for academic excellence.   To date USTA Serves has granted more than $11 million to fund 226 programs in 173 cities in 43 states, including more than $600,000 to adaptive tennis programs for people with special needs. For additional information about submitting a grant proposal, please email us at foundation@usta.com.

MYRTLE BEACH -- Jayden Nogueras won’t win the Friday night 5-kilometer race at Broadway at the Beach that is part of the 16th annual Bi-Lo Myrtle Beach Marathon weekend.In all likelihood, he’ll finish last.But his performance will undoubtedly be the most impressive among the more than 1,000 runners.

Jayden is 6 ... and he’s legally blind ... and he was born with cerebral palsy, a chromosome disorder of 1p36 duplication, polymicrogyria, and septo-optic dysplasia.

This is a listing of camps for children and adults with specific diagnoses, and for children who have a parent or a family member with a specific diagnosis. These are not necessarily free camps, or camps for financially needy children and families. But, some of these camps offer financial aid, so contact the individual camp for details. If you're looking for programs that provide general financial aid for camping or other activities, then go to the Diagnosis-Based Assistance area of NeedyMeds and search by the specific diagnosis. The programs listed in this database include camps for children with one specific diagnosis, whole categories of diagnoses (such as all types of cancers) or broader chronic illnesses. Many of these camps are funded by either private or government organizations. Some camps take children from anywhere in the U.S., while others are limited to people in specific states. Most have some type of eligibility requirements, usually financial ones.

When it comes to camps, kids with special needs have as many choices as other kids. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires all camps to make reasonable accommodations (such as the installation of wheelchair-accessible ramps) so that kids with special needs can attend. So, camps that previously couldn't host kids with special needs might now be on your list of possibilities.

What:The LIFFT youth and young adult peer group (students in grades 6 up to college age) is looking forward to beginning a new year having fun and working on developing the self-confidence and skills necessary to live happy, healthy, productive, and independent lives.This youth and young adult peer group is currently scheduled to meet on the fourth Thursday of each month during the winter and spring. Each meeting will include one hour of discussion on a topic relating to growing up with a disability and an hour of social/recreational activities.When:All sessions 2:00 to 4:00 pmFebruary 23, 2012March 22, 2012April 26, 2012May 24, 2012Where:Billings LIFFT Office3333 2nd Ave NorthContact:Brent Morris, Jed Barton, Jennifer NancePhone: (406) 259-5181

The Eagle Mount Great Falls Sled Hockey team just wrapped up their first season. They're already getting ready for next season thanks to CMR's freshmen class putting on a fundraiser for them this afternoon.

In August, he learned that he will be one of two people worldwide to be awarded the prestigious Safari Club International Pathfinder Award, given annually to two people who have shown leadership and determination to overcome a disability, especially when it comes to outdoor activities.

The Autism Speaks Swimming and Water Safety Scholarship Fund selects eligible organizations and programs to identify qualified financially disadvantaged individuals with autism and offer scholarship funds for swimming and water safety lessons.

The nation's premier special-needs theme park, Morgan's Wonderland opened four years ago based on the vision of philanthropist Gordon Hartman. "I was at a hotel pool with my daughter, Morgan, who was 11 or 12 at the time, when she kept looking over at two other kids in the pool who were tossing around a ball," he recalls. "I knew she wanted to play with them, but because she has special needs she didn't have the communication skills to ask, so she hit the ball. They grabbed it from her and got out of the water." That's the moment the retired homebuilder decided that he wanted to create a place where kids with special needs and those without could have fun together. He traveled around the country, seeking input from pediatricians, families, therapists, and engineers. The result: a 25-acre oasis on the city's northeast side, where every ride and attraction -- from the carousel to the train to the off-road adventure -- can accommodate all children and adults.

Smugglers' Notch Jeffersonville, Vermont Although it's known for its skiing, this resort area offers amazing summertime adaptive programs for kids ages 3 and up. Depending on the need, children may be given a trained camp counselor and can be incorporated into the kids' program to swim, hike, climb the rock wall, and do arts and crafts, or be part of a special-needs group. If they're 6 or older, they can take part in an Autism Mountain Camp that includes horseback riding and sailing. Private swim lessons, which focus on fulfilling a child's sensory needs, are also available.

Morgan's Wonderland San Antonio, Texas

MISSOULA - A not so ordinary playground will be ready for students when they return to class at Jefferson School next week. Members of the Rotary Club of Missoula Sunrise spent Tuesday working on the new playground, which they've funded and built. Jefferson is the only Missoula school that serves pre-school age students and is a peer model school with both special needs and non-special needs students.

A parent must request, in writing, that their child be assessed by their school district. Assessment areas include social/emotional, academic, occupational, recreational and physical therapy, speech and language, physical education, vision, and hearing. Assessments are determined by the unique needs of each child. The district must provide an assessment plan within 15 days of this request. The district has 60 days from receipt of the signed assessment plan to conduct the assessments and hold a meeting. After the district has completed its assessments, and if a child qualifies, an Individual Education Plan is developed at a meeting with the district assessors and parents. The types of areas discussed at an IEP meeting include results from the assessments, eligibility, goals, related services and placement.

An increasing number of entertainment venues are offering sensory-friendly options for families who would otherwise not be able to enjoy activities such as going to the movies, seeing a live performance or participating in indoor recreational activities.

From art to outdoor adventures and leadership to sports, there’s sure to be a camp that fits your child’s interests this summer in western Montana.

there are a lot of amazing organizations out there who can help fund an adaptive bike. Here is a list of some great places to start your search for funding for an adaptive bike. Know of any more? Let us know in the comments

Howard said the area will give children a compact, accessible—it’s also accessible to people with disabilities—play space that can serve as a portal to the wider world of nature.