Outdoor Activity, Sports and Travel
Loss of vision should not prevent you from engaging in almost any sport - for example, swimming, bowling, ball playing, golf, fishing, running, cycling, skiing, and climbing. The major limitation for your participation in these sports will be your energy level rather than your vision. Adapted, special recreation exists for the person with sight loss, but its availability is not always advertised. Many museums have special tactile or recorded tours. The Strybing Arboretum in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco has a Fragrance Garden where braille plaques identify each plant, which you are encouraged to touch and smell. Recorded guides to the garden are also provided. Other communities offer similar opportunities. A few organizations devoted to outdoor sports are listed below:
Access Abilities
P.O. Box 458, Mill Valley CA 94942,
Telephone: (415) 388-3250 Fax: (415) 383-8718
Information on accessible travel and sight-seeing opportunities, as well as adaptive equipment for people with physical diabilities.
Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors
P.O. Box 77212, San Francisco CA 94107,
Telephone: (415) 281-0212
Website: http://www.baads.org
Email: info@baads.org
Free / Low Income
Sailing in specially adapted sailboats. Free weekly sailing classes and other club activities. Large print or audiotape newsletter.
Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program
600 Bancroft Way, Berkeley CA 94710,
Telephone: (510) 849-4663 Fax: (510) 849-4616
Website: http://www.borp.org
Email: info@borp.org
Free / Low Income
Sports and recreation activities for people with visual impairments; resource library for recreation and sports consultation.
Blind & Visually Impaired Adult Recreation Program
San Francisco Recreation & Parks
McLaren Lodge & Annex, 501 Stanyan Street, San Francisco CA 94117,
Telephone: (415) 831-2700
Website: http://sfreconline.org/Activities/ActivitiesDetails.asp?ProcessWait=N&aid=452
Free / Low Income
In collaboration with the Rose Resnick Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, Project Insight offers a wide variety of recreation programs for blind and viaually impaired community members. These programs include Saturday outings, summer day camps, outdoor adventure trips, field trips, overnights, gardening activities, plus special events for the entire familly. We promote learning and development through recreation, focusing on teamwork, self-epression, education, and building cognitive, social, physical, and living skillls. Siblings of blind/visually impaired youth who are not visually impaired are welcome on a space-availbale basis.
California Department of Fish and Game
DFG Headquarters, 1416 Ninth Street, Sacramento CA 95814,
Telephone: (916) 445-0411
Website: http://www.dfg.ca.gov/
Free fishing licenses available by mail.Certificate of legal blindness by an ophthalmologist or optometrist required.
Campanian Society, Inc., The
P.O. Box 243, Rhinecliff NY 12574,
Telephone: 845-876-0303 Fax: 845-876-2037
Website: http://www.campanian.org
Email: campania@one.net
Travel programs for blind and visually impaired people.
Disabled Sports USA Far West / Tahoe Adaptive Ski School
P.O. Box 9780, Truckee CA 96162,
Telephone: (530) 581-4161 Fax: (530) 581-3127
Website: http://www.dsusafw.org
Email: info@dsusafw.org
Instruction in snow skiing, water skiing, cycling, sailing, white-water rafting and camping for people with disabilities.
Enchanted Hills Camp
The Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired
3410 Mt. Veeder Road, Napa CA 94558,
Telephone: (415) 431-1481 Fax: (707) 224-5435
TTY/TDD: (415) 431-4572
Website: http://www.lighthouse-sf.org/
Email: ehc@lighthouse-sf.orgsf.org
Resident summer camp for visually impaired, blind, deaf/blind, children, adults & seniors. Located in the Napa hills. Activities include swimming, horseback riding, hiking, sports, gardening, arts & crafts, music, and theater. Financial assistance available.
Environmental Traveling Companions
Fort Mason Center, Bldg. C, Room 385, San Francisco CA 94123,
Telephone: (415) 474-7662 X 19 Fax: (415) 474-3919
Website: http://www.etctrips.org
Email: info@etctrips.org or sonja@etctrips.org
We provide accessible outdoor adventure trips for people with a wide range of disabilities, including blindness and vision loss. We offer single and multi-day cross-country skiing, sea kayaking and whitewater rafting trips for participants 10 years of age and older. We charge a fee for service and offer additional sliding-scale scholarships
Shasta Mountain Guides
P.O. Box 1543, Mt. Shasta CA 96067,
Telephone: (530) 926-3117 Fax: (530) 926-1374
Website: http://www.shastaguides.com
Email: info@shastaguides.com
Guided mountain climbs at all levels.
United States Association of Blind Athletes
33 North Institute, Colorado Springs CO 80903,
Telephone: (719) 630-0422 Fax: 719-630-0616
Website: http://www.usaba.org
Email: media@usaba.org
Provides sports opportunities for the visually impaired. Yearly membership fee.
United States Blind Golf Association
3094 Shamrock Street N, Tallahassee FL 32309,
Telephone: (850) 893-4511 Fax: (850) 893-4511
Website: http://www.blindgolf.com
Email: usbga@blindgolf.com
Information on teaching or learning blind golf; sponsors a national tournament. Quarterly newsletter The Midnight Golfer.