The Blind Spo(r)t- CRICKET FOR BLIND

- Lack of Sporting Activities for the Visually Impaired.

United Nations has estimated that there are 39 million blind people across the globe, and 7.8 million blind people across India, of which about 80% live in remote and isolated villages. These visually impaired citizens are often sidelined from mainstream society. Our society also lacks accessible infrastructure and services to accommodate the visually impaired. However, a sport is a vocation that enables the visually impaired to develop independence, confidence, social skills, responsibility, leadership qualities, and livelihood skills. It changes the common perception of persons with disabilities by directing attention on their ability rather than disability. While sports has value in everyone's life, it is even more critical in the life of a visually impaired. This is because of the rehabilitative influence sport can have not only on the physical body but also on rehabilitating people with a disability into society.

- Organize Cricket for the Blind, a visually impaired version of the mainstream cricket.

It is towards achieving this objective that Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled instituted Cricket Association for the Blind (CABI), the apex body that organizes and conducts Cricket for the Blind (C4B) across India, is working right now. Cricket for Blind is a project that focuses on the all-round development of a visually impaired person. Besides providing coaching on blind cricket, Cricket for Blind also focuses on developing the confidence, independence, mobility and other required and necessary skills of a visually impaired person.

- An independent and self-reliant visually impaired person and community.

A successful blind cricketer is an inspiration for the whole disabled community as well as for the non-disabled community. Success stories like that of the Padmashri Awardee Shekhar Naik, National Award winner Prakash Jairamaiaha, are just a few examples of the impact that this project has had on many visually impaired individuals.

So far, we have been able to impact more than 10000 blind cricketers through this project, helping them to build themselves, gain employment and lead purposeful lives.