Department Reaches Agreement With Maryland Day Camp To Ensure Equal Rights For Children With Epilepsy

The Justice Department signed a settlement agreement today with Camp Bravo, a day camp that operates in Towson, Maryland, just outside Baltimore. The settlement resolves allegations that Camp Bravo violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) by denying a child admission to the camp because she has epilepsy and requires administration of the emergency medication Diastat if she were to have a prolonged or acute repetitive seizure. Though Diastat is designed to be administered by trained laypersons and could save the child’s life, Camp Bravo would not permit non-medical staff to administer the medication and later refused to permit the camp nurse to accompany the child on field trips or bus rides. As a result, the child was not able to attend Camp Bravo for two consecutive summers. Under the agreement, Camp Bravo will admit the child for all future camp sessions for which she is eligible, and will pay $8,000 to the family to compensate them for Camp Bravo’s failure to admit the child in the past. The agreement also requires staff training and changes to the camp’s policies and procedures.

To find out more about this settlement agreement or the ADA,
visit ADA.gov or call the Justice Department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301
or 800-514-0383 (TTY). 

 Article Credit: U.S. Department of Justice