Whether it’s team or individual pursuits, sports are one of Australia’s favourite pastimes.
Find out more about some of the sports that are available to people who are blind or have low vision.
Blind cricket
Blind cricket is played extensively across Australia.
Blind Cricket Australia hosts an annual competition – the National Cricket Inclusion Championships – and from there, players also have the opportunity to represent Australia in international matches
In blind cricket, the ball is made of plastic, and it rattles or rings when it’s moving. The stumps are metal, all bowling is underarm, and blind batsmen are permitted the use of substitute runners.
For more information, visit Blind Cricket Australia.
Blind golf
Blind Golf gives golfers the opportunity to participate in state, national, and international competitions.
It takes a few alterations to make the sport accessible for players with blindness or low vision. Players must have a caddy to guide them around the golf course.
In addition, blind golfers can ground their club in a hazard, and caddies may stand behind the flag as the blind golfer putts.
There are four categories of blind golf, dividing players by their level of vision. For more information, visit Blind Golf Australia.
Blind football (soccer)
There are two categories of blind football. B1 is intended for players who are totally blind.
It’s played outdoors, on a 40mx20m pitch. Each team is made up of five players, four of whom wear an eye shade to equal their sight, with a sighted or low vision goalkeeper. The pitch has side kickboards and the ball is audible.
B2 and B3 are played indoors, and is intended for players with low vision. It relies on bright light, and a ball with a colour that contrasts sharply against the floor.
For more information, visit Australian Blind Football.
Blind and low vision tennis
Blind and low vision tennis is fairly similar to regular tennis. The net is lower, and players use a smaller racquet and court.
Players also use a ball that makes noise when it moves and is available in different colours to help with contrast
The standard rules of tennis apply with a few modifications.
There are four sight categories of blind tennis. For more information, visit Tennis Australia
Goalball
Goalball is unique in that it’s the only sport designed specifically for people who are blind or have low vision.
Goalball was introduced to Australia in 1980. It’s played on an indoor court, and each team is made up of three players, tasked with defending three goals. The aim of the game is to score goals using a ball that rings when its moving.
To level the playing field, all players wear blindfolds.
For more information, visit Goalball Australia.
Caption: Goalball is the only sport designed specifically for people who are blind or have low vision.
Blind AFL
Blind AFL is played indoors, which allows players to better utlilise their hearing.
A blind AFL ball emits a noise, however unlike other blind ball sports, it is electronic rather than a rattle-based noise.
Flashing lights and high contrast backdrops behind the goals help players identify where to score and goal umpires use rattle shakers to let players know when the ball enters the scoring zone.
For more information, visit AFL Blind.
More sports
Cycling
Cycling for people living with blindness or low vision involves a tandem bike and a sighted cycling partner. It has been a Paralympic sport since 1988.
Judo
In competition, blind judo only has a few adaptations from mainstream judo. It’s a recognised Paralympic sport, and it is also governed by the International Blind Sports Association.
Skiing
Skiing for people who are blind or have low vision involves the use of guides.
A guide will ski in front of or behind the blind or low vision skier and provide verbal instructions via radio headsets.
Both guide and skier will also wear bright coloured bibs to identify themselves to others on the slopes.
This is by no means a comprehensive list of the sports available to people living with blindness or low vision. For a list of sports available, or for more information about some of the sports mentioned, visit Blind Sports Australia or Paralympics Australia.
The Vision Store also stocks a range of blind and low vision sporting equipment, which you can check out online!