Lighthouse Guild Encourages People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired to Stay Active Through Sports and Exercise

NEW YORK (April 17, 2025) – Sports and exercise are for everyone—including individuals who are blind or visually impaired. From goalball and blind baseball to tandem cycling, martial arts, and running, there’s a wide range of physical activities available that promote health, wellness, and community connection.

“Being physically active is essential to increase quality of life for everyone, especially those with unique abilities,” says Kiana Glanton, Development and Special Projects Manager. “Vision loss shouldn’t prevent anyone from participating in sports or physical activity. Access to adaptive athletics is continually growing, creating opportunity for those who once felt sidelined.”  

Glanton, an international bronze medalist in blind baseball, is currently captain of the Lighthouse Guild Lightning, a blind baseball team in New York City. She is actively training to cycle in the 2025 TD 5 Boro Bike Tour for the second year in a row as a visually impaired stoker. She is most proud of her advocacy work introducing low vision youth to new adaptive sports including blind tennis, goalball, adaptive golf, blind soccer, and blind baseball. 

Kiana Glanton

Accessible and Inclusive Activities

Many sports can be adapted to different vision levels, and participation is possible both individually and in teams. There are specialized programs and organizations that make adaptive equipment, training, and support available to people with vision loss.

Cost can sometimes be a barrier, but many organizations offer free or reduced-cost programs for people who are blind or visually impaired. In addition, various camps are available for children, adults, and families to explore sports in a supportive environment.

Safety First

Regardless of vision level, staying safe while being active is vital. Wearing appropriate clothing and protective gear helps reduce the risk of injury. If an injury does occur, seeking prompt medical attention is essential. Lighthouse Guild also offers helpful resources for preventing sports-related eye injuries.

Get Involved

There are many organizations that provide adaptive sports programs for people who are blind or visually impaired. Some of these include:

• United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA): USABA.org
• Goalball (via NYABA): usaba.org/usa-goalball
• Achilles International (Running & More): achillesinternational.org
• Ski for Light (Skiing): sfl.org
• Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports: vermontadaptive.org
• Leaps of Faith Adaptive Skiers: lofadaptiveskiers.org
• National Beep Baseball Association: nbba.org
• United States Blind Baseball Association: blindbaseball.org
• Makapo Aquatics Project (Outrigger Canoeing): makapo.org
• InTandem Cycling (NYC): intandembike.org
• Third Eye Insight (Martial Arts & Fitness): thirdeyeinsight.org
• Seido Karate: seido.com
• American Blind Bowling Association: abba-1951.org
• Camp Abilities (Brockport, NY): campabilities.org
• Envision Blind Sports Camp: envisionblindsports.org
• VCB Camp for Children, Adults, and Families: veryspecialcamps.com

View a video of Jayden, a goalball athlete and student in the Lighthouse Guild’s Saturday Youth Transition Program, as he shares his passion for goalball and how the program has empowered him to become more independent and confident.

About Lighthouse Guild

Lighthouse Guild is committed to providing exceptional services that inspire people who are blind or visually impaired to reach their goals. Through vision rehabilitation, assistive technology, mental health services, and innovative programming, Lighthouse Guild is dedicated to breaking barriers and enhancing lives. For more information visit lighthouseguild.org 

Media Contact: Bryan Dotson, Manners Dotson Group,

917-796-8632,  bdotson@mannersdotson.com