RNIB - See Sport Differently

David Clarke, RNIB Director of Services is a footballing legend. 

Here he talks to RNIB about the highlights of his football career and the role he played in the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Paralympics in London.

Image is of an RNIB football, with David Clarke's signature below the RNIB logo. 

Have you been inspired by Sky Brown and the other fabulous skateboarders at the Tokyo2020 Olympic Games?

Would you love to give it a try but are perhaps worried that being visually impaired will make it impossible?

Well, today we're joined by blind skater Dan Mancina, who not only wants to do away with negative perceptions of visual impairment, but also hopes to get adaptive skateboarding into the 2028 Paralympics. 

You can follow @danthemancina on Instagram and can listen to 'Insighted with Dan Mancina' wherever you get your podcasts. 

Image shows Dan mid-trick, flying above his skateboard, his cane lifted high and pointing at the sky. 

Photo credit: RED BULL CONTENT POOL / JACOB LEWKOW

With the Tokyo Paralympic Games just around the corner here on RNIB Connect Radio we have been chatting with blind and partially sighted Paralympians, sportsmen and sportswomen to gage their thoughts on the Games and how visually impaired members of the GB Paralympic Team may fare in Tokyo. 

Our Toby Davey caught up with Naomi Riches MBE, London 2012 Paralympic Adaptive Rowing Gold medal winner for her thoughts on the games and how Naomi thinks GB visually impaired athletes might do out in Tokyo. 

Toby began by taking Naomi back to the start line of the GB Adaptive Rowing Teams final race of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.  Naomi explained to Toby  how quiet it was on the start line with just the sounds of ores on the water but her heart pounding inside her body.  Toby then asked Naomi What it was like winning Gold in front of a home crowd and Naomi recalled how she could not hear much around her at the time with all the noise of the crowd and it took one of her team mates to tap her on the shoulder and tell her that they had finished the race and won the Gold medal.

Naomi shared with Toby the advice she would give to Ellen Buttrick visually impaired member of the GB Adaptive Rowing Team out in Tokyo as they get ready to compete on the water And Naomi’s thoughts on how the other visually impaired athletes might fare in Tokyo especially without the crowds in the stadiums.

You can follow all the events during the Tokyo Paralympic Games including the opening and closing ceremonies with enhanced audio descriptive commentary and audio described versions of the Paralympic catch-up show ‘Today at Tokyo’ and ‘The Last Leg' with more details on the Channel 4 website - 

https://paralympics.channel4.com

The Tokyo Paralympic Games are just around the corner and once again for blind and partially sighted people Channel 4 will be providing access of their coverage of the games through audio description by RedBe Media.

Connect Radio’s Toby Davey caught up with Rachel Yendoll, Head of Content Management at Channel 4 and Red Bee Media Audio Describer George Rose to find out what will be on offer during Channel 4’s coverage of the Tokyo Paralympic Games with audio description for blind and partially sighted people. 

Rachel began by explaining to Toby why it is so important for Channel 4 as a broadcaster to provide audio description for both there on air and on demand coverage of the Tokyo Paralympic Games with a brief rundown of the content that is being described from the opening and closing ceremonies to their catch-up show ‘Today at Tokyo’ and of course the ‘Last Leg’ too. 

George talked about how both she and the rest of the RedBe Team have been preparing for both the live enhanced audio commentary of the opening and closing ceremonies and the audio description for both ‘Today at Tokyo’ and ‘The Last Leg’, as well as how they’ve been using the coverage of the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games to practice for the live opening and closing ceremonies and a lot of research into some of the more specific Paralympic sports such as GoalBall.  

You can follow the Paralympic Games on Channel 4 from the opening ceremony, the catch-up show ’Today at Tokyo’, ’The Last Leg’ to the closing ceremony with enhanced audio commentary for the ceremonies and audio description for ’Today at Tokyo’ and ’The Last Leg’, for full details visit the Channel 4 Paralympics website -

https://paralympics.channel4.com

With the Tokyo Paralympic Games just around the corner here on RNIB Connect Radio we have been chatting with blind and partially sighted Paralympians, sportsmen and sportswomen to gage their thoughts on the Games and how visually impaired members of the GB Paralympic Team may fare in Tokyo. 

Our Toby Davey caught up with Mike Brace CBE, former Paralympic Skier and part of the team that brought the Olympic and Paralympic Games to London in 2012 for his thoughts on the games and how he thinks GB visually impaired athletes might do out in Tokyo. 

Toby began by taking Mike back to the days when he competed as a visually impaired skier to find out first hand what it was like waiting on the start line for the gun or in Mike's case the countdown to signal the start of the race. 

Mike talked about how different the Paralympic Games were back in his day compared to now with all the Lottery funding and all the media and social media pressure that visually impaired athletes are under today. 

Mike also shared a few names of some of the visually impaired members of the GB Paralympic Team to look out for in Tokyo during the Games. 

You can follow all the events during the Tokyo Paralympic Games including the opening and closing ceremonies with enhanced audio descriptive commentary and audio described Paralympic catch-up shows and The Last Leg with audio description on Channel 4's on demand catch up visiting the Channel 4 website - 

https://paralympics.channel4.com

(Image shows Mike dressed for skiing with a number 65 vest on) 

Scottish blind golfer Barry McCluskey recently took part in the Lawrence Levy British Masters blind golf event which was held in Coleford, England.

RNIB Connect Radio's Barry Snell caught up with him to find out more about the event and also about Barry's busy schedule, which includes preparing for the upcoming British Open.

{image: Photograph of Barry crouching down on the golf course. He is holding a flag, with a putter in his other hand and he is smiling at the camera. Barry is dressed in a grey top and grey trousers and is wearing a baseball style cap} 

Lora Fachie, MBE is a four time gold medal winning para-cyclist who is due to compete in the upcoming Paralympic Games in Tokyo.

Can Laura add to her impressive medals haul this time around?

She has been talking to RNIB Connect Radio's Barry Snell 

{Image: Close up shot of Lora Fachie and her pilot, Corrine Hall tandem cycling with huge smiles on their faces}

Barry Snell chats to RNIB presenter Roger Cole about his love of blind golf.

Roger has been playing for more than ten years and feels it has really boosted his health & wellbeing.

He would also encourage more blind and partially sighted people giving it a try.

If you would like to find out more about blind golf and links to your nearest clubs click on the link below

https://www.internationalblindgolf.com 

Image: A close up of a golfer on the green, ready to stroke the ball. You can only see them from the ankle down as it is a close up of the ball and putter. They are wearing a purple and white golf shoe and white trousers.

The charity British Blind Sport (BBS) is about to host its second face to face taster day in Hull on Saturday 7th August 2021.

If you're blind or partially sighted, why not come along and try out some sports and leisure activities in a safe and fun environment?

RNIB Connect Radio's Allan Russell spoke to David Melville, from BBS, to hear more about the event and what's on.

If you'd like more info, go to www.britishblindsport.org.uk

#RNIBConnect

Image shows children practicing hitting bright green balls with blue and red baseball bats. 

If you live in Scotland and are blind or partially sighted, did you know that you can join others and learn to play golf and take part in tournaments and social gatherings?

RNIB Connect Radio's Allan Russell spoke to Sam Sloan, Scottish Captain, to learn more about the game and the offer of some free taster days.

The first sessions will be on Friday 30th July in Coatbridge and Monday 2nd August in Stirling.

All are welcome and you can register at [email protected] or find out more by visiting www.scottishblindgolf.com

#RNIBConnect

Image shows a close up of a golf club about to send a ball flying over a grassy field and towards a red flag marked hole. The Blind Golf Scotland logo is visible in the upper left corner.