Some of you, at one time or another, have probably thought about how you would do certain things if you were blind. You probably wondered how you would cook a meal. You may have wondered how you would match your clothes. But, it's probably a pretty good bet that you've never wondered how you would shoot archery.  

 

photo of Mark Schrand and Janice Walth, visually impaired archers, standing at the shooting line in front of their foot-locators and tactile sights. They are holding their bows.

 

 

You'll probably be surprised to know that Sighting is really not the most important part of a good shot. The technique used to shoot a good shot is at least 95% form. Body awareness and muscle memory are very important for any archer.

To begin, click here to see how its done.

Visually Impaired Archers at the 2019 Para Worlds

Blind/Visually Impaired Archers, Equipment and Technique

Visually Impaired Archers Shooting at Pacific Coast Championships

 

The photograph shows two visually impaired archers, Mark Schrand and Janice Walth shooting at the Pacific Coast Championships. They are shooting the same equipment used by sighted archers; the bow, arrows and stabilizers are standard equipment, but notice that their sights are mounted on a tripod and not on their bow. This is because visually impaired archers aim by touching the back of their hand to the sight instead of looking through it.

 

Hopefully, as you explore this web site and read some personal experiences, you will be inspired to give archery a try or help someone you know join in the fun.

 

If you have questions about coaching, equipment or anything else, contact me at jwalth@seenolimits.org. We'd love to help you out.