Bowling for the blind and visually impaired

Westgate Lanes and Low Vision Coalition Allen County have teamed up to host a blind bowling event for those who are blind or visually impaired.

This is the first social activity for the coalition.

LVC Member, Pam Schroeder says, "We are promoting social events for people that are blind or visually impaired. We think it's important that they be able to get out and enjoy things that everybody else in the rest of the community gets a chance to enjoy. So we have our sighted people bowling right along with unsighted people or people that are visually impaired or totally blind."

Those who were visually impaired or blind were able to bowl with the help of a guide rail.

Schroeder says, "The coalition really developed to help people to promote community awareness about people who do have visual impairments or people who are blind and trying to function in the community."

This gave people the chance to bowl for either the first time in a long time or the first time ever.

James Rains, LVC Member says, "I bowled a couple times back in my twenties. This is my first time at Westgate and my first time bowling since I've been blind. I know sometimes people can be uneasy around handicap people. Course, I'm just going from my experience from when I could see and we like to get out and cut up and have fun just like anyone else."

This activity allowed the blind and visually impaired to interact with each other.

LVC Member Sean Oden says, "If we have problems we can talk about it. We can laugh together. We can cry together if we want to. It's just fun bowling with another person that has the same disability as I do."

Gage Morgan, LVC Member says, "Not a lot of people can relate. So the more visually impaired people that we can get in one place, probably the better. Even if it means doing something like this." 

The coalition hopes to set up more events like this and eventually starting a blind bowling league.

The coalition meets on the last Wednesday of every month at 5:30 at the Goodwill building on Allentown Road. They encourage everyone to come and check them out.