The following is a description of the equipment and technique used, and the assistance needed when shooting archery as a person who is visually impaired. 

 
 

Adaptive Equipment:

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The best design is sturdy, adjustable and portable. 

  • Sturdy – The foot-marker must not be susceptible to bending, cracking or breaking.  Must be able to withstand occasional accidental standing or stepping on it.  The tripod used to mount the sighting aid must not wobble or flex. 
  • Adjustable – The foot-marker and tripod must adjust according to an archer's height, stance and arm length when at full draw.  The archer must be able to make quick adjustments to the sighting aid during shooting ends and efficient larger adjustments to the entire apparatus between shooting ends. 
  • Portability – The tripod and foot-marker must be light-weight and collapsible in such a way that it can be transported easily in a vehicle or cargo compartment of a plane and when carried onto the shooting range.  . 

Tripod with site and footmarker, all set up and taped down, ready for shooting.
 

Foot-marker:

The foot-marker enables the visually impaired archer to return to the same position on the shooting line at the beginning of each shooting end.  It is placed on the ground relative to the shooting line.  It is placed so that the archer can back up against it, touching the back of her heels to the board at the position of the foot placement indicators protruding from the board.  These foot placement indicators are adjustable depending on the archer’s preferred stance.  When the archer is standing properly, relative to the foot-marker, she will have one foot either side of the shooting line. 

View from behind. Looking down at archer's feet positioned against footmarker.
 

Tripod/mount for sight:

The tripod holds the sighting aid.  It enables the visually impaired archer to aim.  When set up, it is indexed into the foot-marker so that they become one unit.  The archer raises her bow and touches the back of her hand to a probe that protrudes from the sight.  The archer is allowed one point of contact for sighting. 

Close up of site. Archer is holding her bow and is aiming by touching the back of her hand to the probe protruding from the site.
 

Spotter:

A spotter will guide the visually impaired archer to the shooting line in the area of the foot-marker.  The spotter will stand 3 feet behind the shooting line, directly behind the archer.  The spotter will tell the archer where her arrow hits the target after each arrow is shot.  The spotter will indicate the color of the ring and the position in that ring by saying the clock face.  Example:  Red, 10 o’clock.  Blue, 3 o’clock.  After each shooting end, the spotter will guide the archer to the target to retrieve her arrows and may assist with scoring. 

 
 

Click here to see a video demonstration