[Sportsandrec] More Beep Baseball

[Thornbury, Kelly]

First of all, my class experience as one blind person on a team of 10 playing softball is certainly different than 10 blind people out there trying to find a ball that's quit rolling (or worse, beeping), trying to find bases, and trying most of all to avoid running into each other. All my classmates were immeasurably helpful in integrating me into the game. 

Second, I personally have no problem considering beep baseball to be a "blind" sport...because unless I am mistaken, everyone wears sleep shades, a rule in itself that makes it a sport where vision is eliminated as an ability. I have no problem calling adapted sports what they are, or playing by the rules set within them. Does it really matter if a batter gets three strikes or four, or if there are two bases instead of three, honestly? Baseball and softball have similar rules and strategic concepts, but specific rules are considerably different...despite the similarities they are two different games. I have no problem calling an orange an orange, or a "blind sport" what it is. 

This might  be where I stray from NFB teachings, but I accept that there are many things I am no longer able to participate in...I will never again take off on a solo bike trip; partake in some knarly back country, out of bounds skiing; trek solo across the high route from Chamonix to Zermatt. I'm fine with that...I have a disability that doesn't allow me to safely participate in such activities. I am happy, in fact more than happy, to play the games I can, come up with rules or alterations that allow more participation in "mainstream" games, and to leave alone the ones I don't feel comfortable in. I don't consider myself to be a blind athlete (despite being totally blind), I am an athlete who happens to rely on other senses and abilities besides vision to participate in activities...I am a person who happens to be blind...I define the blindness, it doesn't define me. 

Thank you for the information on the beeping Frisbee. I've been looking for one; I'm hoping to get involved with the ultimate Frisbee intramurals on campus. 

Now a question for the list: For any guide dog users out there who are into water recreation like canoeing, I am looking for a good life vest for my guide (yes 99.9% of all labs can swim, and do it willingly, but better safe than sorry). I have seen a couple that I didn't care for the design of, but it seems that as a rafting guide when I was sighted, I saw many more different designs that I can't seem to be able to "GOOGLE." 

Kelly