RNIB - See Sport Differently

A new website has been launched to help match up blind and partially sighted people with sighted guide runners by England Athletic and British Blind Sport.

 At the moment the site only covers England but it will, in the future, roll out across the UK.

www.findaguide.co.uk

 Whether you want a run in the park or something more challenging, the site helps match visually impaired people with trained, and police checked, sighted enthusiasts.

 RNIB Connect Radio's Allan Russell spoke to Gary Perryman, a sighted guide, and Samantha Leftwich, a visually impaired runner.

 #RNIBConnect

Blind and partially-sighted people have always loved their sport, whether it's football or rugby, tennis or golf.

But is sport fully accessible to blind people?

David Tanner who's reported on sport for both TV and radio for many years and provides audio described commentary, looks at how the service differs between sports, finds out how blind fans feel about the service they receive, and if there is any way it can be improved further….

Ex-RAF veteran Garry Morrison was injured in a parachute accident and had to learn to walk again. Then, after contracting chicken pox, he went totally blind.

Garry had not climbed in 12 years but as part a week’s stay at Blind Veteran's UK Llandudno centre he was encouraged to try climbing.

He found it was something he could do, enjoyed doing, and actually was very good at.

RNIB's Barry Snell hears how the 36-year-old now has plans for Tokyo 2020's Paralympics.

If you're keen to up your level of fitness and you live in the Bristol area, you might be interested to know about a new club that has been launched recently.

The Visually Impaired Running Group which aims to get you from the couch to running a 5k takes place every Wednesday.

There is a team of UK Athletics trained running guides based in Bristol who are able to help and support you.

RNIB's Sophie Fox went for a run with the club on a rather dark Wednesday night to find out more about the club and how it got started.

For more information and to take part follow this link https://www.rnib.org.uk/community/south-west/visually-impaired-running-group-bristol-couch-5k-course

The 2018 Winter Paralympics closed with a spectacular ceremony in Pyeongchang.

Skier Menna Fitzpatrick and her guide Jen Kehoe, who won Britain's only gold of the Games, led the team into the ceremony in South Korea.

The pair were given the honour after they claimed victory earlier on Sunday in the visually-impaired slalom to become GB's most successful Winter Paralympians of all time, thanks to their haul of one gold medal, two silvers and a bronze.

Millie Knight and guide Brett Wild also finished their Games on a high with bronze in the slalom to add to their two silvers from the downhill and super-G.

It meant the team hit their UK Sport medal target of at least seven medals for their biggest winter medal haul since 1984 and since Lottery funding was introduced in the 1990s.

Shaun Donovan lost his sight from an early age but has always been fascinated by tennis.

He started out playing the sport as a leisure activity but is now playing at a competitive level and now encourages other blind and partially sighted people to come along and try out the game.

Vision Tennis Sessions are held at Swansea Tennis Centre every Thursday throughout the year.

RNIB's Lynne Morgan spoke to Shaun to find out more about why he got into the sport.

Find out more about the sessions here http://www.wcb-ccd.org.uk/single_post.php?var=2133