Camp What's-in-Common

"No one comes out and says it," Marshall said, "but I always make sure I announce [Sabria's disability] beforehand: 'She walks with a walker, but don't let that scare you.' "

Gamble said there are limits to what camps can provide, often because of the terrain surrounding the camp or the intensity of the recreational program. But Jennifer Skulski of the National Center on Accessibility, which is run by the National Park Service and Indiana University and promotes inclusion of people with disabilities in recreation, said camps have made large strides since the Americans With Disabilities Act was passed 14 years ago, such as building more paved roads, installing access ramps and improving health facilities.

The accommodations at Kamp A-Kom-Plish are subtle: The pool has a graded entry that makes it easy for a wheelchair to roll down to the water. There is a paved ring around the central campfire and a wooden ramp on the basketball court to help children in wheelchairs make shots.

"We're trying to get the message across that this is a camp for everyone," said Joanne McDonald, vice president of community living and leisure services at Melwood. The group is based in Upper Marlboro, and though it runs programs across the country for people with disabilities, Kamp A-Kom-Plish is the only such facility it operates.

The camp costs $535 for one week and $1,135 for two weeks. A registered nurse visits the camp daily and is on call at all hours, as is a doctor. A medical assistant lives at the camp.

Several children are attending with a sibling who has a disability. Alayna and her older brother, Julian, 14, checked in with sister Breanna, 11, who has Down syndrome.

"I don't have to separate them," said their mother, Tiffani Sterling-Davis. "They can learn together; they can be in a diverse environment together. It's just really exciting for me."

One afternoon after lunch last week, Alayna knocked on Sabria and Brady's bedroom door.

"This is the secret knock," she whispered to a guest.

"It's not so secret anymore," Leah cried out from inside the room.

Alayna walked in, and Breanna soon followed, closing the door behind her. Several girls had gathered inside, trying out lip gloss and trading CDs. Brady held up a Stridex pad she had used to clean her face, and the girls uttered a collective "Ewwwww!"

A few counselors peeped in and smiled. They chided the girls for keeping the door closed but otherwise left them alone. The girls prefer it that way -- they need time to just be together.

"We've only known each other for two days, and it feels like two weeks," Brady said. "We're, like, all sisters."