Batting for the blind

Bella, Dua, Insight teacher and Victorian blind cricketer Christine Casey, Ben, Isuli and Maide play a game of blind cricket. 175852 Pictures: GARY SISSONS

By Kyra Gillespie

The tables were turned for Year 8 Beaconhills College students who played a blind cricket match with Blind Cricket Australia and the students at the Insight Education Centre in Berwick.
Donning blindfolds on the cricket pitch in December last year, the students experienced firsthand the challenges faced by blind and vision-impaired individuals.
According to Insight Education principal Timothy Hemphill, this “reverse integration” method helps to alleviate stigma around disability and bridge the gap between students of different abilities.
“Our senior teacher Christine Casey, who is blind herself and plays cricket in Melbourne, was the one came up with the idea for this fantastic program”, he said.
“On the day half of our students matched up with half of the Beaconhills students, who then put on blindfolds.
“They spent a good two hours out there and everybody got a chance to bowl and bat.
“It was great to see them form strong teams and work together.”
Using specialised Gray-Nicolls equipment made from metal, students were able to navigate through the game using sound and vocal cues.
Insight Education Centre for the Blind and Vision Impaired aims to provide vision impaired students with the same opportunities as others.
Statistics indicate that blind or vision impaired individuals experience a 70% unemployment rate, a number that Mr Hemphill says drives the school system.
“Those numbers mean that out of a cohort of ten, maybe two will find part-time work while the other seven don’t have a job – this is what drives our whole system,” he said.“Our goal at Insight is to put our students on a pathway where they are most likely to succeed at getting a job and leading an independent life.
“So in order to do this, it’s important for them to interact with other children and form friendships outside of the school grounds.
“The whole idea behind the cricket game is to put all the players on an equal level, which is really empowering for our students.”