If you can see, try out Blind Football
by Beth
Last week a friend sent me a link to a video game that simulates what it’s like to be blind and play soccer. My friend can see, and she is a huge soccer fan. She’d scored a 35% on the simulation. I was determined to do better.
The simulation is supposed to present you with four different soccer challenges: passing, shooting, tackling and dribbling. Superstar David Beckham introduces the video, asking players to use their ears to angle their passes based on what they hear in their headphones.
I linked to the game. David Beckham told me to put my headphones on. I did. He explained how to use the arrow keys to follow the sound of the ball, and then said to hit the space bar to pass. I put my hands on the keys and waited for the action to begin. I waited. And waited.
I could hear children playing, but got no direction of where to pass or dribble, and I had no clue what to press to get the aural clues started. I tried arrowing up, arrowing down. I hit the space bar. I hit it again. Maybe enter? Would that work? No luck. Finally I called my husband over. He can see, and he was able to find the button on the screen for me. The only way i could play the blind soccer game was to have a sighted person help me.
Disappointing? Yes. Upon reflection, however, I realized this simulation isn’t intended for people who are blind. It’s meant to give people who can see a better understanding about living with a disability — the simulation comes from Sainsbury’s 1 Million Kids Challenge. Sainsbury’s sent Paralympics Sports Kits to schools, clubs and organizations all across the United Kingdom to encourage millions of British children to try out a paralympic sport ahead of the London Games this week.
A study by Sainsbury’s shows that the kids who tried out a paralympic sport are more knowledgeable — and excited — about watching the Paralympics. Nearly two-thirds (62%) of the children who tried a Paralympics sport were able to specify an event that they are looking forward to watching when the Games start. The event they are looking forward to most? Ellie Simmonds in the 100-meter freestyle. About one in five children (19%) said they’ll be watching that on TV, followed closely by Oscar Pistorius in the Men’s 400-meter. Both events are on the same day, September 8th. Other events set to be popular with British children are wheelchair tennis and cycling track.
This is so cool. It all makes me very happy. So happy, in fact, that I may just let my friend believe she beat me in blind soccer. Go Paralympians!