Letter to editor: See Sport Differently

Dear Editor

Getting involved with sport is a great way to become more active, meet new friends and have fun, but research suggests that blind and partially sighted people in Wales could be missing out.

People living with sight loss are twice as likely to be inactive compared to those who are fully sighted, while one in two feel their condition stops them from exercising as much as they’d like.

At the Royal National Institute of Blind People Cymru (RNIB Cymru), we want to ensure anyone can take part in a sport they love, no matter their level of sight, with the help of our See Sport Differently campaign.

Alongside British Blind Sport we’ve launched our brand new See Sport Differently hub, which contains loads of useful info to help blind and partially sighted people get involved with accessible sports and activities in their area.

There’s an interactive quiz people can take to find the sport that suits them best, and we’ve teamed up with the one-and-only Mr Motivator to produce a range of fully accessible home workouts, designed to help people get active from the comfort of their own home.

We’ve also produced series of real life stories which demonstrate the positive impact of sport on people’s wellbeing, including Megan who plays goalball in Cardiff, and Gordon, who plays VI bowls in Swansea. 

Having gone through my own sight loss journey, I’ve experienced first-hand the joys of rediscovering sport after taking up visually impaired rugby following years away from the sighted game. I hope this campaign sparks a love of sport for other blind and partially sighted people across Wales.

Your readers can learn more about See Sport Differently at rnib.org.uk/ see-sport-differently, where they can also check out Mr Motivator’s workouts, take our interactive quiz, and watch our real-life stories.

Yours sincerely,
Gareth Davies

Strategic Engagement Manager, RNIB

Jones Court, Womanby Street, Cardiff, CF10 1BR