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<p>DALLAS &#8212; A two-week day camp for blind or visually impaired children ages 5 to 10 aims to develop independent-living skills while building confidence.</p><p>Community Services for Sight has held Camp Sight for older children for 13 years, said Lori Lesante, the organization&#8217;s president and CEO. Camp Sight Junior began four years ago as the original program grew.</p><p>The six campers spent Tuesday at the Jewish Community Center Camp near Dallas, where activities included karate, a nature walk, art projects, a dance lesson, basketball, and gaga. If you&#8217;re unfamiliar with gaga &#8212; no, not the singer &#8212; it&#8217;s like dodge ball except players can use only the lower half of their legs.</p><p>The activities were chosen based on recommendations from senior staff at the camp, school teachers who have experience working with disabled children, assistant camp director Sara Pisarz said.</p><p>&#8220;The whole premise of the camp is to teach independence. I truly believe that children, as they grow older, should all be independent. We teach basic daily living skills,&#8221; said Lesante. She explained those skills can be as basic as making a sandwich, buttoning a shirt, tying shoes or making a bed.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s simple to us because we&#8217;re sighted, but to somebody who is visually impaired, it becomes a difficult task,&#8221; she explained.</p><p>Amy Feldman, of the Greater Wilkes-Barre Association for the Blind, said the children have been spending a lot of time learning how to cook simple things, and learned how to go grocery shopping. They also got a basic lesson in money management.</p><p>&#8220;Today will be a little more physical. Using their orientation and mobility skills, navigating a new place they&#8217;ve never been before. &#8230; Just putting them in some different environments and some real world experiences,&#8221; Feldman explained.</p><p>&#8220;We hope that because they&#8217;re involved with our programming, every skill that we teach them we constantly build on that,&#8221; Lesante said. &#8220;We start at a younger age, building that foundation.&#8221;</p><p>Only one camper is completely blind. The others fall on a spectrum of visual impairment, according to Feldman.</p><p>She said the camp is free with no income requirements, only a sight evaluation. The association also offers services for adults to assist them with their daily lives.</p><p>Enrollment is still open for Camp Sight for children ages 11 to 18. That will take place July 31 to Aug. 4 and Aug. 7-11. For more information, call Sara Peperno of the Wilkes-Barre Association for the Blind at 570-693-3555, ext. 224, or at sara@wilkesbarreblind.com.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Gabriella D&#8217;Anaco makes her way down the stairs under the watchful eye of Denise Culver of the Association for the Blind. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_sight_camp4_faa.jpg</photo0><caption0>Gabriella D&#8217;Anaco makes her way down the stairs under the watchful eye of Denise Culver of the Association for the Blind. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_sight_camp5_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Harrison Kole yells as he kicks a pad held by karate instructor Lu Ann Letoski at the camp near Dallas. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_sight_camp5_faa.jpg</photo1><caption1>Harrison Kole yells as he kicks a pad held by karate instructor Lu Ann Letoski at the camp near Dallas. </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_sight_camp1_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Gabriella D&#8217;Anaco practices karate at the Jewish Community Center Camp near Dallas on Tuesday. She is one of the visually impaired children attending the two-week day camp that aims to teach independent-living skills. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_sight_camp1_faa.jpg</photo2><caption2>Gabriella D&#8217;Anaco practices karate at the Jewish Community Center Camp near Dallas on Tuesday. She is one of the visually impaired children attending the two-week day camp that aims to teach independent-living skills. </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_sight_camp2_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Lilly Morgan holds a stone close so she can see it at the JCC Camp. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_sight_camp2_faa.jpg</photo3><caption3>Lilly Morgan holds a stone close so she can see it at the JCC Camp. </caption3><photoCredit3></photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_sight_camp3_faa.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Visually impaired campers make their way down a long path to the Nature Station for an activity at the camp. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/web1_sight_camp3_faa.jpg</photo4><caption4>Visually impaired campers make their way down a long path to the Nature Station for an activity at the camp. </caption4><photoCredit4></photoCredit4></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Toni Pennello</p><p>tpennello@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Toni Pennello at 570-991-6121 or on Twitter at @TLNews.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Visually impaired children learn life skills at day camp