[Sportsandrec] A question for you all

[Audrey Farnum]

I agree with all your concerns. That is alarming that a program like that would set lower expectations for the totally blind and and perpetuate such a hierarchy of blindness. I would refuse to attend a program like that. For what it's worth, We are currently having our National Convention in Orlando. We did numerous 1Touch self defense seminars and everyone participated successfully. I would encourage you to make some noise and point out what an unfair and discriminatory policy that is. I find that totally appalling. 

Audrey T. Farnum
Sent from my iPhone

On Jul 5, 2013, at 9:38 AM, Holly Scott-Gardner <holly.lsg at hotmail.co.uk> wrote:

> Hi everyone,
> 
> I'm from the UK, but I think this is something you'd all potentially be interested in. I'm going on a camp for blind students this summer, it's called ICC and mainly atracts European students but I know it's open to people from across the world. They do a lot of tech workshops as that's what it was traditionally based around but they've expanded the program to include sports workshops and other interests.
> 
> When participants signed up we weren't told that there were two lists of workshops, one for the totally blind and another for students with more vision. I can understand recommending certain workshops to people as some students will be using screen readers and others will be magnification users so that makes sense, but I'm concerned that they're also making this distinction when it comes down to vocational workshops.
> 
> One of my friends was going to sign up to a self-defence workshop. Another friend of ours is going and she asked if they would want to do it together. But the other friend, who is totally blind said she couldn't find that workshop on the online list. When they questioned the organisers they found out that self-defence is only open to participants who have more vision, not those who are totally blind.
> 
> This is really bothering us, the friend who has been told she can't do the workshop is a fencer and I do judo, it's not like we don't do sports. But my biggest concern is the attitude of the organisers, they're basically saying that people with the least vision are incapable of learning these skills. How are students meant to come away with a positive attitude if they are being told that because they are blind their potential is automatically lower? They are allowing us to do sports, like goalball, they see as specifically for the blind but not ones that we could adapt and would find interesting anyway.
> 
> I was wondering what you guys think, sorry for the very long email! I also sent it to this list because it's an access issue around sport, but if you think another list would benefit from seeing it let me know.
> 
> Holly
> 
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