Sports

Sport can aid both your child’s physical and mental health, find out all the organisations you need to know about and the range of sports on offer!

Organisations specialising in VI sports

Goalball

Goalball is a team sport designed specifically for athletes with a vision impairment. Participants compete in teams of three and try to throw a bell ball into the opponents’ goal. The ball is thrown by hand and never kicked. Originally a rehabilitation exercise, the sport has no able-bodied equivalent.

Played indoors, usually on a volleyball court, games consist of twelve-minute halves. Teams alternate throwing or rolling the ball from one end of the playing area to the other, and players remain in the area of their own goal in both defence and attack. Players must use the sound of the bell to judge the position and movement of the ball. Eyeshades allow partially sighted players to compete on an equal footing with blind players.

Phone: 0330 202 0281

Address: Coleridge Rd, Sheffield S9 5DA

British Blind Sport

britishblindsport.org.uk

British Blind Sport makes sport and recreational activities accessible to people who are visually impaired. The charity enables blind and partially sighted people to experience the same sporting opportunities as sighted people. Since its establishment in 1976, BBS has become a voice for visually impaired people in the world of sport and leisure, both in the UK and on an international level. It also leads in the UK with sight classification for elite and Paralympic athletes.

Phone: 01926 424247

Address: 19 Coventry Road, Cubbington, Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, CV32 7JN

Blind Football

www.thefa.com/get-involved/player/disability/grassroots-disability-football/blind-football

Blind football is five-a-side football and, more specifically, it is an adapted version of futsal. All outfield players must wear eye patching and eye shades to ensure a level playing field. The ball is also adapted to create a noise as it rolls across the playing surface, enabling players to hear and locate it. The game has another unique feature in that during play, spectators must remain silent in order to allow the players to hear the ball clearly.

Blind Cricket England and Wales

www.bcew.co.uk

BCEW have been working in partnership with British Blind Sport and the England and Wales Cricket Board since 2006. BCEW deliver competitive cricket for those who are blind or partially sighted, running national and international competitions.

Phone: 01332 361226

Address: 26, St. Pancras Way, Derby DE1 3TH

Disability Snowsport

www.disabilitysnowsport.org.uk

Disability Snowsport are committed to enabling all people to participate in snowsport, regardless of disability, injury, or experience. They operate ski schools at various locations throughout the UK as well as delivering opportunities to ski and snowboard in a mountain environment worldwide.

Phone: 01479 788770

Email: hello@disabilitysnowsport.org.uk

English and Wales Blind Golf

www.blindgolf.co.uk

England & Wales Blind Golf is a registered Charity, formed in 1982, with the principle aim of providing blind people the opportunity to participate and compete in the great game of golf.

Blind Golf is played strictly to the Royal & Ancient Rules of Golf with the exception that players are allowed to ground their club in a hazard. They also require the assistance of a sighted caddie or guide.

Tel: 020 8686 4942

Unit 111, Weatherill House, Whitestone Way, Croydon, CR0 4WF

Metro Blind Sport

www.metroblindsport.org

Metro Blind Sport is a London based charity whose aim is to open doors to sport for all vision impaired people, regardless of age or sporting ability. They cover a wide range of sports and they use specialist adaptations so that the activities are accessible. Membership is restricted to those living within easy reach of London, but they do sometimes admit members for whom there is no alternative club available.

Email: info@metroblindsport.org

The Visually Impaired Sailing Association of Great Britain

visa-gb.org.uk

VISA-GB is run by blind and partially sighted sailing enthusiasts to help others to enjoy the freedom of sailing. VISA-GB’s aim is to empower, motivate and encourage visually impaired people to join a sailing team and enjoy getting involved in something that’s great fun.

Visually Impaired Tennis

tennisfoundation.org.uk/play-tennis/blind-visually-impaired-tennis

The visually impaired version of the game is played on a smaller court than usual, with a lower net. An audible ball is used so players can hear it bounce. Depending on a player’s level of sight, they are allowed up to three bounces before returning. The Tennis Foundation has written this useful guide for coaches that could be used as a template for any sport.

Snowsport England

www.snowsportengland.org.uk/ukss-adaptive

Snowsport England is the Governing Body for English skiers and snowboarders and is recognised by Sport England, the SRA (Sport and Recreational Alliance) and the British Olympic Association. No matter what your disability, there is no excuse for staying off the slopes. Most ski slopes and clubs have facilities for disabled skiers and there have been many advances in equipment in recent years which has made the sport even more accessible.

Tel: 01509 232323

Address: SportPark, Loughborough University, 3 Oakwood Drive, LOUGHBOROUGH, Leicestershire, LE11 3QF

Whitestick.co.uk

www.whitestick.co.uk/sport.html

This website is great for providing information on a variety of sporting organisations UK wide, which specifically cater to the visually impaired.

General Physical Exercise

www.teachingvisuallyimpaired.com/pe-resources.html

Children who are visually impaired should have the opportunity to access the P.E. program to promote social skills as well as physical fitness. This page provides suggestions and recommendations for adapting the P.E. curriculum. You don’t have to be a teacher to use the resources or the recommended books suggested by this page. Available to anyone, it gives great advice on equipment and the most appropriate games for children with a visual impairment.

Why getting involved in VI sport is so important to us…

Useful links

Help your local club become more accessible

If you you’d like to approach your sports club regarding their accessibility, we’ve created this template letter which you can download and adapt for your child’s needs.

Download the Word template