As they pack their lunches and grab their backpacks, Raquel and Gabriel Pilon-Guerra can’t get out the door quick enough - eager for another full day at summer camp.
But their mother will be sacrificing her own work for the duration of camp to tag along - to be available to help seven-year-old Raquel, who has cerebral palsy.
“She’s a pretty independent young lady who likes to do things on her own,” Patricia Guerra told CTV News Toronto.
But Raquel does require assistance in the washroom, and this year the University of Toronto Mississauga day camp the kids have attended for the past three summers has refused to provide that support.
“For the last three years we had been accommodated, they had been able to provide us with that service, and we were very happy with that,” she said.
The family says they were referred to the U of T day camp through a Mississauga rehab centre for kids with physical disabilities and were taken aback when they found out Raquel’s minimal needs could not be accommodated this year.
The University of Toronto told CTV News Toronto that it has instructors who work directly with children with disabilities and says the camp makes every effort to accommodate special needs.
“We offer inclusive, accessible opportunities for all campers,” a statement from the university regarding the matter read. “We have camp instructors who work directly with children with disabilities, engaging them in accessible and inclusive play.”
“Specialized accommodation needs require professional staff trained in that care. We work closely with families who identify in advance the needs of the camper to determine the best options available for reasonable accommodations.”
The university says ahead of this summer, changes to the registration process and the program were “identified in advance.”
“These changes reflect our commitment to a safe learning and working environment for both employees and campers. We realize this is a difficult situation for the family. We're open to continuing to work with the family to find reasonable accommodation.”
Raquel’s father, Jean-Francois Pilon says the changes are misleading.
“The camp advertises as being inclusive,” said Raquel’s father, Jean-Francois Pilon. “However, when you go through the process they will tell you they’re not going to do this, or not going to do that.”
The policy change has meant that Guerra has had to put her own business on hold for the month of July, and forgo her own income, to help her daughter in the washroom throughout the day.
“They are an inclusive camp, but I feel they are choosing the services that they want to offer kids with special needs,” she said.
Guerra said the camp has otherwise been an incredible experience for her daughter and she doesn’t want to pull her out of the program because it’s so beneficial to her independence.
“She absolutely loves it," she said, calling it the highlight of both her kids' summers.
“She’s always there at the camp, smiling, having fun,” echoed big brother Gabriel.
