Goalball – DCU students can play ‘blindfolded’
14 October 2003

DCU Clubs and Societies Day takes place on Wednesday 8 October. This year's 'day' includes a series of events which are intended to bring together able-bodied students and students with a physical or sensory impairment to join in a range of sporting activities. These include 'goalball', tandem cycling, wheelchair karate, adaptive climbing and basketball.

These events have been organised by Michael Gilroy, Sports Development Officer with the DCU Disability Service. Michael is responsible for the introduction of a number of initiatives to encourage students with any form of physical or sensory impairment to take full advantage of the sporting facilities at DCU and to get involved in as many sporting activities as possible during their time at third level.

"There are no grounds for exclusion from sport, but rather every potential for athletes, regardless of physical status, to be assisted and coached to a level of fitness that is appropriate to them", he said.

One of Michael's achievements is the introduction of the game 'Goalball' to Irish universities. Goalball is a game that is played in the dark on a squash court using a ball that is detected by sound. All the players are blindfolded so that no player is disadvantaged by their degree of sight. It was invented in 1946 in an effort to help in the rehabilitation of blinded war veterans and was introduced to the world at the 1976 Paralympics in Toronto, Canada. It has been played at every Paralympics since, although Ireland does not yet have a team.

According to Michael, "The 'twist' to this game is that it is the sighted players who learn how to play with an impairment, rather than expecting the player with an impairment to make the adjustment. It is a real 'mixed ability sport', and one that I hope will take off around the country. A major achievement would be for Ireland to put together a goalball team for the next paralympics".

Able-bodied students will be joining in the fun and perhaps in the longer term will volunteer to take part in the mixed sports on a more regular basis. It is also an ideal opportunity for students with a disability to meet other students with or without disabilities and learn the range of activities that are now open to them at DCU and which have, up until now, only been associated with the able-bodied.