Sport and leisure

Blind and partially sighted people get involved in all kinds of sport. Why not try your hand at rock climbing, rugby, athletics or archery?

London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Our London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games pages provide information on:

If you have any questions email: london2012@rnib.org.uk

Channel 4 is the official broadcaster of the London 2012 Paralympic games. You can find out the latest news about the Paralympics at channel4.com/paralympics.

Here you can watch Ben Quilter's video on aiming for paralympic gold in the Judo.

Football

Meet the GB blind football team!

Meet the Great Britain blind football team, find out our squad's skills, how they are preparing for London 2012 and watch Dave Clarke's video for Channel 4.

Ajmal's story

Ajmal plays in the Blind English Football team. He talks about how he got into football, how blind football works and how to get involved. Read Ajmal's story.

Liverpool FC

What does Liverpool do for fans and players with sight problems? Dave and Andrew find out on a trip to Liverpool Football Club.

Soccer Sight

Soccer Sight aims to bring football commentary to blind and partially sighted people at every professional club in England and Wales. There's also audio description at some sports venues.

Leisure activities

From parties, bowling, swimming and rock climbing to art and dance, with the Action for Blind People regional Actionnaires clubs, there are lots of activities going on all over the country. Find out more about Actionnaires - Activity clubs.

Elina, 17, talks about her experience of off-road driving.

There are a whole range of activities going on across the country. Find out what's coming up with the Action for Blind People Activities Calendar.

Adapted sports

There are some sports which are especially adapted for blind and partially sighted young people. These include:

Goalball

Goalball is a three-a-side team game, developed for blind and partailly sighted players. Individuals with full sight can also play.

The ball has bells inside it so you can hear where it is. The game is played on an indoor court or area, with tactile markings so you know your position on the court.

Watch Goalball in action

Students at the University of Portsmouth have created a film focusing on Joe Pitt, a student with albinism. To hear Joe's story and experiences as Chairman of the Hampshire goalball club, his relationship with his condition and his guide dog Cyber, watch the film.

As the official broadcaster of the London 2012 Paralympic games, Channel 4 Paralympics presenter Daraine Mulvihill ponders how the profile of lesser-known sports like goalball can be increased to a wider audience. Watch the film.

Blind cricket

The main difference between standard cricket and blind cricket is the ball. A size three football is used in UK blind cricket to help the partially sighted players to see it. It's filled with ball bearings to allow the totally blind players to hear it.

Blind cricket explained

Blind Tennis (Sound Ball)

The game is played on either a badminton court or a standard tennis court using a short tennis racket and an adapted spongy ball that makes a noise when it bounces. Balls can be either black or fluorescent green to give maximum contrast with the colour of the sports hall.

The standard rules of tennis apply with just a few modifications. Just like standard tennis, you can play singles or doubles. Sighted players can play against players with sight loss, but they're allowed only one bounce and no volley.

To find out more visit Metro London Sports.

Watch a video of Odette Battarel talking about Sound Ball Tennis.

Tell us your sporting stories

If you have a passion for sport, why not tell us about it? Email us at cypf@rnib.org.uk and you could see your story appear on this website!

Contact: cypf@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 31 August 2012

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Right now we can only reach one in three of the people who need our help most.

Please make a donation and help us support more blind and partially sighted people.

London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games

Getting to the Games

The London 2012 travel pages will help ticket holders, including those with accessibility requirements, plot their journey to the Games.