Talking Vision is Vision Australia Radio’s flagship program, discussing the latest news and issues from a blindness and low vision perspective.
This week we wrapped up National Volunteer Month in May as Sam caught up with Paul Szep, president of Blind Bats, an organisation set up to encourage people with disabilities lead an active lifestyle. For over the past 30 years, Paul has been developing a prototype for a beeping cricket ball as opposed to the regular blind cricket ball with bells, and his innovation recently won an inclusive design award.
The ball beeps continuously until it’s turned off, making it easier to track in the air and on the ground for players who are blind or have very low vision. Paul had been developing the ball since the early 1990s but had encountered issues with the technology of the time.
He put the idea on the backburner until he retired about a decade ago and got involved with Blind Bats, and recent trials with a new prototype of the ball in charity matches proved a great success.
“It was a shock to be nominated in the first place to be honest, but I’m very pleased that we won because it will only help Blind Bats and the creation of the ball itself. We’ve got a big calling for the ball around the world so this win will hopefully help us move to the next phase in the process,” Paul said.
Paul’s commitment to blind cricket and volunteering for organisations such as Blind Bats isn’t a recent thing, as he has always had a keen interest in doing good within the community from a young age. He emphasises that there is always a need for more people and plenty of worthy causes to get involved with that can have a positive impact.
“If you want to volunteer, you can really find something that you want to do that you’re passionate about, I’ve been a volunteer for Blind Bats for the last eight years for instance. We’ve got people being fully included in the community now and it’s given them a lot of confidence, and that’s what we’ve really set out to accomplish,” he said.
Listen to the full interview here or in the player below:
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