[Sportsandrec] More Sporting and Recreational Opportunities

[Jessica Glasebrook]

I'm seriously resisting the temptation to shriek because this 
post makes me so happy.  Yes, let's definitely work on that this 
year! I love hiking and challenge sports more than almost 
anything, and was asked to forgo participation in my local Sierra 
Club chapter after some older members complained about the 
"safety threat" I posed, even though  (I cannot stress this part 
enough), I have never once been injured or comppromised another 
hiker.  I've been desperate to find outdoor challenge 
opportunities ever since.
 ----- Original Message -----
From: Peter Donahue via SportsandRec <sportsandrec at nfbnet.org
To: "'Sports and Recreation for the Blind Discussion 
List'"<sportsandrec at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Wed, 27 Jun 2018 20:34:22 -0500
Subject: [Sportsandrec] More Sporting and Recreational 
Opportunities


Good evening again everyone,

	While we're not opposed to Yoga, meditation, dancing, and 
activities done at the national convention this division 
needs to explore ways to offer challenge activities during 
the year in various parts of the country.  Kendra's post 
brought this to mind as I was reading her description of the 
ocean and rocks she must navigate.  It seems like this is 
exactly the kind of thing this division needs to be doing to 
show blind children and adults that it's possible to enjoy 
the great outdoors and to commune with nature.  If Eric 
Weihenmeyer was able to summit Mt.  Everest this division 
ought to be able to organize hiking, camping, canoeing, 
kayaking, surfing, rock climbing, caving, golf, skiing, and 
many other activities blind people have done successfully to 
introduce more blind individuals to these activities, to get 
them moving, and to show family members, and others that 
blind people can participate in these sports and 
recreational activities like their sighted counterparts.  Is 
anyone up to horse back riding or dog sledding? Th4ese 
activities have also been done successfully by the blind.  
It's time this division explored ways to offer such 
activities year-round and throughout the country.

	One way this could be accomplished would be to partner with 
various organizations that offer activities such as those 
listed above.  For example Wilderness Inquiry offers trips 
to a number of U.S.  and over-seas destinations to offer 
various wilderness experiences.  Canoeing, Kayaking, rock 
climbing, snowshoing, dog sledding, horse back riding, and 
other outdoor activities.

	We along with at least one other federationist from 
California are members of the Sierra Club.  In addition to 
its advocacy concerning environmental issues the Sierra Club 
offers various local, state, national, and international 
outings to offer their members various outdoor experiences.  
Perhaps the NFB through this division could partner with 
these organizations to further educate their members about 
blindness and the abilities of the blind and to offer blind 
youth and adults a wider variety of sporting and 
recreational opportunities.Self deffence, Yoga and the 
activities offered during the national convention have their 
place but their are blind people who want a wider variety of 
sports and recreational opportunities.  I'll take a Yoga 
session after playing a round of golf, landing a few big 
ones on a deep sea fishing excursion, canoeing the Boundary 
Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, you get the idea.

	This division could do more to increase recreation and 
sporting opportunities by partnering with organizations like 
those mentioned above, finding sponsors to help cover the 
cost for blind participants in need  and empower its members 
to enable them to cover these costs on their own.  This is a 
topic for the division to consider and we hope it's 
discussed at this year's meeting.  All the best.

Peter Donahue




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