Skiing and Skating - If you are a Blind Person

One or two instances a month, Nancy Leverett skates at the Mt. Lebanon Ice Center, an unremarkable feat, except for the fact that she actually is blind. She and other vision-impaired people skate with the support of sighted volunteers through a program called Western Pennsylvania Blind Outside Leisure Progress (Vibrant), an organization which helps people today with eyesight issues engage in physical exercises that might be extremely tough or unattainable without the benefit of a partner.

Downhill skiing, tandem biking at North Park and rowing on rivers and lakes have all been facilitated by BOLD.

There are a number of special clothing items that are designed to safeguard a skier from injuries, for example:

• Overcoats


• Ski Boots


• A prime quality ski helmet.


• Ski safety gloves

Head security is provided by a ski helmet.

Ski helmets are designed specifically to insulate and protect against shocks.

In addition to providing protection, a ski helmet is put together with fashion in mind.

Ski helmets are available in the market in three basic categories: full shell, short shell, and full face models.

Fashion is also provided through additional functions such as ear-phones plugs for listening to music. The Salomon helmet range is a really good model of a fashionable ski helmet.

A close-fitting helmet is the best defense against injury so ensure that yours is well fitted - seek advice from the retailer about this.

There are a number of sets of safety regulations that cover ski helmets including ASTM, Snell and CEN 1077.

Studies have shown that skiers who wear a helmet have a significantly reduced likelihood of injury.

"BOLD has been so beneficial in my life," said Ms. Leverett, 57, of Mt. Lebanon. Nancy struggled with her sight right from birth - she was born without cataracts. However her sight remained good until she was fifteen; glaucoma developed and Nancy sadly lost her sight. BOLD came to her attention while she was still at Duquesne University. It was the 1970s, and Joyce Driben, a blind Greenfield resident, had just returned from Aspen, Colo., where she skied downhill and learned about a Vivid group there operating with blind skiers.

The good work of BOLD inspired the ladies to set-up a similar group in Pittsburgh, to help the blind community there. This led to downhill skiing being provided to the group members.

At 1st Nancy was afraid. Understandably so. But she persevered. At first she got applied for the skiis, their really feel. She graduated to skiing on flat surfaces, and then onto a lot more adventurous slopes.

The method works by pairing-up blind and sighted skiers. This requires both trust and very good communication. Guides need to provide on-going information and constant feedback to the blind skier.

Beyond the physical activity it provided, Ms. Leverett said BOLD raised her confidence when she was in her early 20s, single and working. Her co-workers told her they were impressed she was skiing.

"It was a big confidence booster, so good for my self-esteem," she said.

Reference: http://www. post-gazette.com