ABOUT CAMP CRAIG ALLEN
Our Mission
Camp Craig Allen is dedicated to the “overlooked” physically disabled children and physically disabled adults of North Texas. We will encourage self-awareness, positive influence, and independence in therapeutic and educational programs in an accessible environment that promotes abilities and talents of those with the most physical challenges.
Our Goals
Once our facility is built, all activities, programs, and the environment will encourage personal growth, ability awareness and broaden the experiences of those that are physically disabled. We will provide support to those with physical disabilities and their families in a therapeutic and accessible environment.
What Makes Us Different
Camp Craig Allen’s goal is to build a universally designed, completely barrier-free facility which will encompass activities that people with physical disabilities will be able to participate in. Not only will the environment be barrier-free, but also each and every activity.
This whole project is about bringing current technology together with new innovative ideas and activities that may add a finer quality of life to someone living with a physical disability and/or who use a wheelchair.
Our project scope is to build an entire green and all-inclusive community. The following buildings and activities are the beginning of what is to be included:
• Jennifer A. Wells Resource Center
• Wheelchair & Equipment Body Shop
• Adaptive Sports Complex & Fields
• Vocational Life Skills Lab
• Healthcare Conference Center
• R&D Lab
• Indoor Aquatic Center
• Archery
• Fishing and Boating Areas
• Beauty/Barber Shop
• Dance Studio
• Recording Studio/Music Center
• Amphitheater
• “Drive In” Movie area
• Greenhouse/Garden
• Photography Studio
• Teaching Kitchen
• Ropes Course
• Arts & Crafts
• Obstacle Course
• Chapel/Memorial Gardens
• Service Dog Park
• Treehouse with an elevator
Our Objectives
• Camp programs in a completely adaptive indoor and outdoor barrier-free facility
• One week recreational sessions for adults and children with physical disabilities.
• Create a independent living center and community providing housing for those with physical disabilities to live, work and play.
• Serving Families by providing a facility, support groups, and education on community resources, in which families may need.
• Family camp sessions and sibling camp sessions will allow family time without any limitations in both recreation and
therapeutic programs.
• Educational & Independent Living Curriculum for adults with physical disabilities to learn practical life skills of living and
working independently. Post injury user groups will learn about themselves and independence from trained professionals including people with disabilities. Progressive illness user groups will learn adaptations within their environment resulting from a physical change.
• Conference & Retreat Facility targeting healthcare professionals and organizations in which we can promote advocacy by
broadening the awareness in the complete adaptive environment. Providing educational curriculum in all physical diseases
and injuries resulting in being in a wheelchair. Hands on Conference experience in which will be the first of its kind and world
class.
• Sports Training Facility and housing which will allow athletes who use wheelchairs to train in a state of the art fully adapted
facility including sports as basketball, hockey, tennis, and archery.
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THE STORY OF
CRAIG ALLEN CRUZAN
The original vision… a camp with no barriers or limitations for people with physical disabilities.
While experiencing a week of camp completely indoors due to severe rains, this young thirteen year old started dreaming of a place that had covered concrete walkways where his wheelchair would experience no obstacles. He envisioned an on-going camp experience for all disabled, children AND adults.
He dreamed of building such a camp with his twelve year old sister, Dawn.
From age 6 to 21, a span of 15 years in the late 70’s and 80’s, Craig attended a Muscular Dystrophy camp once a week every summer in a non-accessible environment. When he reached the age of 21, he was too old to continue attending camp. Disappointed, his vision grew to include NO age restrictions.
Craig passed away in 1989. He was just twenty-two years of age.
His sister’s passionate devotion for this vision remains steadfast.
Through the years, a couple of great camps have been made for the disabled, however, the need for a camp facility dedicated just for severe physical disabilities for children and adults is limited.
Either having a debilitating disease and it becoming more progressive, or an injury resulting in physical impairments; the result of being in a wheelchair with possibly having respiratory devices is an everyday challenge for so many. Camp Craig Allen will be built around these user groups focusing primarily on physical disabilities in
adults, children and for their families.
With new technology for adaptive equipment, advancements in medicine and environmental enhancements,
the disabled are living longer, and therefore their quality of life should be improved.
Camp Craig Allen is dedicated to honoring and proceeding with the visions of Craig Allen Cruzan.
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Camp Craig Allen’s Definitions of Diversity and Inclusiveness
Diversity refers to the extent a group reflects individuals from different identifiable backgrounds.
Inclusiveness embraces the perspectives and contributions of each individual including their diversity. In the process of becoming more inclusive, organizations are inspired to develop increased awareness and sensitivity to the richness of the multiple identities and unique gifts brought by each individual. Inclusive nature is cultivated through curiosity, sensitivity and developing expanded awareness beyond one’s self. As one engages in relationships from this place of new awareness, accessing courage and initiative to challenge assumptions can lead to communicating in new ways and can build new bridges of communication.
Diversity and inclusiveness work together. While Camp Craig Allen believes our organization functions best by reflecting those who are being served, we maintain a long-term commitment to honor, respect, and value the uniqueness of each individual involved in our mission and to seek feedback from all as we continue to grow in our work together.
In order to accomplish our mission, we believe that we must be responsive to the needs of everyone in the community who may receive services. Camp Craig Allen does not and shall not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, or military status, in any of its activities or operations.We will create and implement programs using our awareness of such differences and treat all clients with respect. Furthermore, we will create an organizational culture that values people of all racial/ethnic backgrounds and that is based on our organizational values of respect, integrity, and honesty. Our commitment to inclusiveness will be evident in our organizational policies and procedures, as part of our strategic plan, and within our organizational goals of serving the most overlooked persons with physical disabilities.