For many children, summer camp is a rite of passage: swimming in the lake, sharing snacks at the top of the hiking trail and staying up late with friends that come together once a year; those memories can last a lifetime.
But for children with disabilities, this experience is often out of reach. Parents must consider behavioral requirements, camp costs and specific accommodations for their child. Extra Special People in Athens is one of the few accessible programs in Georgia working to ease that burden.
Why It’s Newsworthy: This story is newsworthy because it highlights a gap in access to a common childhood experience, showing how disability, cost and limited resources shape who gets to participate, and how local programs like Extra Special People are working to address it.“Parents have the hardest time wrapping their heads around the fact that there is no catch,” said Brianna Lawrence, the Athens Family Support Coordinator. “Throughout that entire meeting, we’re just like ‘we literally accept everyone whether you need help using the bathroom, whether you have a feeding tube or whether you do have some behavioral concerns. We want you and this is a place for you.”
Specialized camps require trained staff, adaptive programming, equipment and access to medical professionals, leaving many families to shoulder a financial burden that extends far beyond normal camp fees. Summer camps for children with disabilities in Georgia average over $600 per week, with some even reaching into the thousands.
Childcare options are limited, so you’re going to have to pay more for childcare. Life in general is just more expensive for these families,” Lawrence said.
In a system where opportunity is often tied to income, many families are left navigating how to foster inclusion when the cost remains just out of reach.
Redefining Summer Camp
That gap is where Extra Special People (ESP) come in.
Founded in Watkinsville, Georgia in 1986 by Martha Wyllie, the nonprofit organization has spent decades building a community centered on individuals with disabilities, offering year-round programming designed to foster independence and connection. The organization is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year by hosting an alumni weekend during the summer camp.
ESP functions off of partnerships with local businesses and private donations with little to no federal and state funding.
“It’s definitely not what’s supporting our program,” Lawrence said. “I would say what’s supporting our program the most is our community partnerships in Athens and Watkinsville. They are what really keep us rolling.”
ESP’s summer camp, Camp Hooray, transforms traditional camp into a more intentional and intimate environment for children with disabilities. Having a 1:1 ratio of camper to counselor, Camp Hooray allows for a personalized experience for each child, regardless of their needs. For many families, ESP is one of the few places where their children receive individualized attention.
Over the past 40 years, ESP has served 1,300 members and their families. While its mission centers on individuals with disabilities, ESP recognizes that care does not stop at the individual. It extends to the entire family.
ESP provides free, fully prepared meals for families, offers ESP Sibs — a support network for siblings — and hosts community centered events like a fall festival, family dance and Jolly Jubilee.
Not only do they create spaces to get families involved, but they also help foot the financial burden too. No family is turned away due to age, disability or ability to pay. Due to donations from corporations and private parties, every family is given a minimum 75% scholarship to help cover the costs.
The Price Tag of Access
The challenge for these children and families isn’t just a physical one, it’s financial too.
Households raising children with disabilities are significantly more likely to face economic hardship, with about 22.3% reporting financial strain, which is nearly double the rate of other families.
Nationally, nearly one in four working-age adults with disabilities lives below the poverty line, highlighting a persistent income gap. In Athens-Clarke County, 26% of residents are living in poverty — nearly double the state average. Furthermore, about 1 in 10 residents lives with a disability, which can often limit one’s ability to work and require extra healthcare visits.
Together, lower income and higher costs create a compounding burden. Programs like the Supplemental Security Income (SSI) offer some support for families of children with disabilities, but eligibility is limited to those earning near or below the poverty line.
For many families, the price of specialized summer camps becomes more than a choice; it becomes a barrier — one that ESP works to break down.
The Difference It Makes
For Alyse English, a fourth-year student teacher in the special education program, the impact of ESP is something she sees play out every day. One of her students, Amber, has been attending ESP and Camp Hooray for years.
“It is something that keeps her motivated and, honestly, so happy,” English said.
Amber’s favorite part of camp are the dances she gets to perform, and she counts down the days until she can go back. English said the camp’s benefits extend beyond the summer and into her classroom.
She has gotten to be so much more social,” English said. “Before, she wouldn’t even talk to anyone, but now she has grown to going up to people. This may seem minuscule, but for Amber, this is a big deal.”
Beyond ESP
For families, the value of programs like ESP goes far beyond convenience or childcare; it’s about giving children a space where they are fully seen and supported.
He goes to ESP and that has been super special for him, because it’s kind of a place for him to just be himself and do what he needs to do to just be like the happiest ever,” said Ava Banko, an ESP buddy whose younger brother, Cooper, attends the program.
Camp Hooray, ESP’s summer camp program, currently hosts overnight camps in Winder, Georgia. Recent fundraising efforts have made it possible to begin constructing cabins for overnight cabins at the Camp Hooray site in Jackson County, less than 30 minutes outside of Athens. These efforts reflect a broader push toward more inclusive opportunities, even as advocates say there is still more work to be done.
“We’re focused on that ourselves with Hooray, continuing just to find more options to inclusively serve our people,” said Jake Brown, Camp Hooray coordinator and former counselor. “I think people are waking up to the importance of that and investing in it, but still there’s a ways to go.”
As awareness grows, so does the question of what comes next. For many families, the hope is that spaces like ESP become less of an exception and more of an expectation, where every child has the opportunity to belong without barriers.
Saleha Alam is a third-year journalism and political science student with a Certificate in Public Affairs Communications at the University of Georgia on a pre-law track. Natalie Bardy is a fourth-year journalism major pursuing a master’s degree with the Double Dawgs program at the University of Georgia. Jordan Garrison is a fourth-year journalism major, minoring in political science at the University of Georgia. Nicholas Lezama is a fourth-year journalism major, minoring in international affairs at the University of Georgia.
