This listing of camps and other summer activities is meant for children and teens with disabilities and special health care needs. Please note that this is a sampling of programs, and Family Voices does not endorse or recommend any specific camp. These links may have  information about additional programs. 

Very Special Camps – Wisconsin

A list of camps for children with disabilities and special health care needs in Wisconsin.

iCan Shine Camp 

A program that teaches individuals with disabilities how to ride a conventional bike and become a lifelong independent rider! Each session is 75 minutes and the sessions are for 5 consecutive days. In 2023, the camp will be held August 21 – 25 in Appleton.

Camp Avanti

Camp Avanti provides an intensive occupational therapy program within a rustic camp setting for children ages 6 to 15 who have learning disabilities and/or sensory processing dysfunction (SPD). The camp is located in Hudson, WI.

Camp AweSum – this camp fills quickly!

Camp AweSum has two types of camps, one for youths only and one for families who have a child with an ASD. Both camps are held at the same site, Moon Beach Camp, near St. Germain Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Badger Camp

Wisconsin Badger Camp serves adults and children with developmental, physical, emotional/behavioral disabilities in a residental summer camp setting near Prairie du Chien. The camp has an activity building, wheelchair accessible swimming pool, petting farm, nature center, basketball court, and paved paths.

Easter Seal Camps

Easter Seals has several camp programs including Camp Wawbeek and Respite Camp (both overnight camps) and Camp Kee-B-Waw (a day camp). All camps are held in the Wisconsin Dells.

Easter Seals of Southeast WI

Easter Seals of Southeast Wisconsin sponsors several camps and summer activities for youth and adults (ages 16 and up) with disabilities or special health care needs.

Camp Firefly

Camp Firefly is now part of Camp Chi’s inclusion program. It is an overnight camp for children, ages 9-18, who are diagnosed with social disorders, such as Autism, Asperger’s Syndrome, non-verbal learning disorder, Social Anxiety, OCD, or ADHD. The camp is held at Camp Chi near the WI Dells.

Wisconsin Lions Camp

Lions Camps include camp programs for children and adults who are blind or visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, as well as for children with intellectual disabilities including autism, and children with diabetes. WI Lions Camp is in Rosholt (near Stevens Point) and is located on a lake and 400 acres of land. 

One Step at a Time Camp

One Step at a Time Camp gives kids with cancer and leukemia an opportunity to have fun while enjoying the outdoors, learning new skills and testing their limits.

Camp Odayin

Camp Odayin provides fun, safe and supportive camp experiences and community building opportunities for young people with heart disease and their families. Camps are located in Elkhorn, WI and Crosslake, MN.

Camp Phoenix

Camp Phoenix is a week-long overnight camp for children and teenagers with a primary diagnosis of epilepsy. Trained staff, nurses and counselors provide a safe, medically monitored setting. Kids experience the fun of camp activities like swimming, fishing, sports, hiking and more.

Summer programs for Teens or Young Adults with Disabilities:

Chatter Matters Camp

Chatter Matters Camp, held at UW-Whitewater, is a camp in partnership with Variety, graduate speech pathology students and other student volunteers and instructors to host this overnight camp for children ages 5 – 15, who use augmentative or alternative communication (AAC) and their immediate family members.

 Wisconsin Youth Leadership Forum

The WI Youth Leadership Forum is a career awareness and leadership training program for high school juniors and seniors with disabilities from throughout the State of Wisconsin sponsored by the Board for People with Developmental Disabilities. The program is held at Edgewood College in Madison.