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DisabilityNation|Play Ball! Episode
DN69: Many baseball fans have heard their favorite radio or television announcers calls of "Seeing Eye Singles" - those hits where the ball somehow has eyes and slips past the infielders. Brian Charlson of Watertown and Rick Morin of Waltham, MA are taking the expression "Seeing Eye Single" literally.
Charlson and Morin will depart August 22, 2008 on an 8 days, 8 games, 6
ballparks, and 5 cities tour of Major League Baseball Clubs in the
Northeast. Brian is a guide dog user who has been totally blind since early
childhood and Rick is a white cane user who has had low vision since birth.
The two fifty-something visually impaired men are calling this trip their
"2008 Seeing Eye Single Tour".
Brian and Rick will be chronicling each stage of the trip with audio, video
and written reports on the Seeing Eye Single Tour blog.
Because of their love of the game and strong commitment to advocacy, Charlson and Morin have had the opportunity to work with the Red Sox, Yankees and other professional baseball organizations to make the live baseball experience and web sites more accessible and
enjoyable for those who are blind or with low vision.
"Many people find it odd that people who are blind or with low vision enjoy
a day at the ballpark" says Rick. Rick and Brian have attended many a game
at Fenway listening to the play by play via a portable radio and Rick using
low vision devices to take advantage of the usable vision that he has. Rick
goes on to say "you can't replace the experience of being part of the
community that assembles at the ballpark - not to mention the smells and
sounds and excitement!!!"
The trip will take the intrepid threesome to Shea Stadium in New York City,
Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Camden Yard in Baltimore, the new
Nationals Park in DC, Yankee Stadium back in New York City and then back
home at Fenway Park in Boston. The 2 Yankees games are especially
noteworthy since they are the last two regular season games between the
Yankees and Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. See their complete itinerary below.
"Our goals for this trip are simple", says Charlson. "We want to challenge
stereotypes some people have about the blind, we want to encourage others
who are blind to take advantage of live baseball as an important part of
their social involvement and we guarantee that we will "have a ball" doing
it!!."
DN69 features coverage of the Seeing Eye Single Tour and how these fans are working to improve the experience for baseball fans with disabilities in the north east and across the country.
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Transcripts of this Episode are Available
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[ Wed, 20 Aug 2008 06:02:14 -0700 ]
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