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Blind and Low Vision Sports Resources

Be sure to check out Hadley’s Get Up and Go! Discussion Group each month!

Books

Encyclopedia of Sports Recreation for People with Visual Impairments

This book is available on Bookshare and NLS Talking Books, and covers a wide variety of adapted sports including such sports as tennis, kayaking, golf, archery, fitness and more.

Fitness for Individuals Who are Visually Impaired or Deafblind APH

Ten Thousand Steps: Cane Not Included A Guide to Fitness Tech for Blind Users by Ana Dresner National Braille Press

Interview with Ana Dresner on Mystic Access (begins about 20:30 where she talks about getting into fitness as a blind/VIP participant and some concerns people may have.

Podcasts

Eyes Free Fitness ® (Blind Alive)

Free Accessible Fitness for All

Download these and put on a Talking Book Player to get a fitness program started in your own home! Background info from AccessWorld

Blind Sport Podcast

Podcast no longer updated but archives are available

Check out the podcast number 52 on volunteers and “sighties,” in which he interviews Kyle Robidoux  about his involvement working with volunteers and peer support groups for MABVI (Massachusetts Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired)

Kociaba-Fitness

Bill Kociaba, legally blind, interviews variety of fitness experts

 

Yoga Videos

Yoga Video From Montreal Association for the Blind Mackay Rehabilitation Center discusses techniques for training and consumer interviews

Yoga video Marty Klein PR for blindyoga.net where he sells a 5 CD pack on yoga for beginners who are blind/VIP

Rousettus Yoga Supplies and Videos

Specializing in products for yoga practitioners who are blind.

Websites and Organizations

Adapted Athletic/Sport Organizations at APH Physical Education Recreation and Health

Audio Dart Master

Audio dart board sale and supplies

BlindRunner.com

Michael Lloyd of BlindSports Podcast is a runner who has participated in NYC Marathon, among other events. Tips for runners.

Blind Sport Resources (from blindsportpodcast.com)

Very comprehensive list of sports associations for individuals who are blind/VIP

Blind Fishing Boat

Lawrence Gunther’s blog—fishing enthusiast and winner of the California International Blind Sailing Regatta in 2010.

Extreme Dreams

Dean Dunbar, extreme adventurer offers resources for some of the sporting opportunities open to athletes who are blind.

Hein Wagner

Motivational speaker and athlete.

International Blind Bowls Association

Oversees 12 member countries supporting competitive lawn bowling

International Blind Golf Association (IBGA)

Twenty member countries including USA and Canada and several countries with their own national association.

International Blind Sports Association

International federation working to promote sports specifically for blind and partially sighted athletes.

Special Olympics

Providing physical fitness opportunities in Olympic-type sports for children and adults of all intellectual abilities.

United in Stride

A website pairing runners and guides

World Blind Cricket Council

Association of blind cricket players internationally

USA

American Association of Adapted Sports Programs

Education-based adapted athletics programs

American Blind Bowling Association

Promoting interest in bowling among individuals who are visually impaired or blind

American Blind Golf

Promotes the sport of golf for players who are blind or visually impaired

Beep Kickball Association

“Same game, different ball.”

Blind Cycling Group

A Yahoo group for tandem cyclists who are blind or visually impaired

Blind Judo Foundation

Offering both a Paralympic and Community program

Blind Stokers Club

San Diego, CA organization pairing sighted cyclist with blind cyclists on tandem bicycles

Blind Tandem Cycling Connection

Organization connecting blind cyclists looking for sighted cyclists to ride tandem bikes. Site includes database of “Stokers” (the cyclists who do not steer) with “Captains” (cyclists who steer the bike) and tips for getting started.

Christian Record Blind Camp

Summer camp programs throughout the U.S. sponsored by Christian Record

Courage USA Ice Hockey for the Blind

Newly formed hockey league modeled after Courage Canada league.

Disabled Sports USA

Contains a searchable database of chapter locations

National Beep Baseball Association

Committed to fostering competition and camaraderie through the game of beep baseball

Northwest Association for Blind Athletes

Includes the state of WA, OR, ID, and MT and offers recreational programing for all abilities

Ski for Light

Nordic (cross-country) ski events held annually in various locations to introduce novice and beginning skiers with vision loss or reduced mobility to the sport

United States Association for Blind Athletes (USABA)

Provides sports opportunities for athletes of all ages who are blind or visually impaired

United States Blind Golf Association (USBGA)

Expanding the opportunities for golfers who are blind or visually impaired

USA Deaf Sports Federation

U.S. Paralympics

A division of the U.S. Olympics Committee dedicated to promoting excellence in the lives of athletes eligible for Paralympics

US Sailing

Adaptive Sailing Sailor Resources: list of programs nationally offering adaptive sailing

 

Australia

Australian Blind Bowlers Association

Promoting and supporting lawn bowlers with blindness and visual impairment

Blind Cricket Australia

Oversees competition in all mainland states.

Blind Golf Australia

Promote and coordinate golf among athletes who are blind or visually impaired

Blind Sports Australia

Membership includes sporting organizations for athletes with vision impairments

Blind Sports and Recreation of Victoria

Sports and recreational opportunities for blinfd and visually impaired people of Victoria and surrounding area.

Blind Sports of New South Wales (NSW)

Sports and social recreation for individuals with blindness or vision loss.

Blind Sports South Australia (SA)

Supporting over 10 sports for blind and visually impaired athletes

Blind and Vision Impaired Tenpin Bowling Australia (BVIT)

Promoting Tenpin bowling

Fitability Tandem Program

Tandem cycling opportunities in Canberra region for blind and visually impaired cyclists

Goalball South Australia

Affiliated with Goalball Australia supporting opportunities for training and competition

Goalball Western Australia

Provides community access to goalball sporting activities

NSW (New South Wales) Goalball Association

 

Canada

Alberta Sports and Recreation Association for the Blind (ASRAB)

Supporting and encouraging competitive sports programs

Blind Sports Nova Scotia

Provides competitive and recreational sporting opportunities

British Columbia Blind Sports and Recreation Association (BCBSRA)

Supports athletes of all ages throughout Britich Columbia who are blind or visually impaired.

Canadian Blind Sports Association

The national governing body for goalball and provides support for all Canadian athletes who are blind or visually impaired

Courage Canada

Canadian hockey league for hockey players who are blind or visually impaired

Manitoba Blind Sports Association (MBSA)

Providing sporting opportunities for Manitobans who are blind or visually impaired

Ontario Blind Sports Association

Supporting athletes at all levels in Ontario, Canada

Parasport and Recreation PEI

Sports and recreational opportunities for anyone on Prince Edward Island with a physical disability.

Association sportive des aveugles du Québec

Recognized as the governing body for competitive sports in Quebec

Saskatchewan Blind Sports Association

Promotes national and provincial sporting opportunities. Check out their “dragon boat” timed races.

Blind Golf Canada

Promotes competitive golf and sportsmanship

 

Great Britain

Acoustic Shooting

See the section on crossbow and black powder shooting!

Aquabats Sports and Social Club for the Blind

London-based, promoting non-competitive activities

Blind Veteran’s Bowman

Archery club for British veterans with vision loss

British Blind Sport

Making sports and physical activity more accessible

British Blind Sport Archery Section

A division of BBS for archers with a vision impairment

Blind Golf Scotland

Providing access to training, support and competition for golfers with a vision loss

Cycling for All CFA

London-based to promote cycling opportunities for cyclists of all abilities

Disability Snowsport UK

Opportunities for snow sport activities for all abilities

Disability Sport Wales

Creating a culture where every person in Wales is hooked on sport

England and Wales Blind Golf

Irish Blind Golf

Supporting golfers in Ireland who are blind or visually impaired

Goalball UK

Promoting goalball clubs throughout the UK.

National Blind Football League

London Sports Club for the Blind

London-based, includes schedule of rowing, swimming, bowling, and holiday activities

Metro Blind Sport

London-based providing sporting activities for all ages and abilities

SAVI Northwest

Based in Merseyside to develop inclusive sproting opportunities.

Vision Sports Ireland

Dedicated to solely to sprts and recreational opportunities for visually impaired people

Visually Impaired Sailing Association of Great Britain

Delivering high quality and enjoyable sailing to the visually impaired community

 

New Zealand

Achilles International New Zealand

Supports athletes of all abilities at local. National, and international levels

Blind Sport New Zealand

Providing sporting opportunities nationally

Goalball New Zealand (NZ) Facebook Page

Blind Sailing New Zealand

Creating opportunities for both recreational and competitive sailing

New Zealand Blind Cricket Association

Oversees all aspects of blind cricket in New Zealand and is part of the World Blind Cricket Council.

New Zealand Blind Lawn Bowlers Association

Supports both recreational and competitive lawn bowling and is a member of the International Blind Bowls Association

 

If you have a resources you’d like to share, please forward to stevenk@hadley.edu for consideration.