World Sight Day reminds us that sight loss can affect any one of us. Every day, 18 people in Ireland begin to lose their sight, and one in five people will experience sight impairment during their lifetime. Understanding the lived experience of people who are blind or vision impaired is key to creating a more inclusive society.
To mark World Sight Day, Vision Sports Ireland hosted its annual summit at the impressive Wayfinding Centre in Glasnevin, Dublin, a unique facility that helps people who are blind or vision impaired build confidence navigating transport and everyday environments. The event brought together National Governing Bodies, Local Sports Partnerships, service users, para-athletes and disability advocates to explore how sport can become more accessible for everyone. Vision Sports Ireland's "Start Well, Live Well, Age Well" vision encourages lifelong participation in sport, empowering people who are blind or vision impaired to be active, included and connected throughout their lives.
A key message came from Minister for Sport Charlie McConalogue, who stated that "inclusion is not something added on, it is something that must be there from the beginning." He highlighted sport's unique ability to bring people together, create a sense of belonging and open opportunities for people who are blind or vision impaired.
The summit celebrated inspiring role models including Paralympians Nicole Turner, Róisín Ní Riain, Greta Streimikyte, Sinéad Greenan and Damien Vereker, while also highlighting the importance of partnerships, awareness training and technological advances. Innovations such as Meta smart glasses are helping many people who are blind or vision impaired gain greater independence both in everyday life and in sport.
For Irish Sailing, the event reinforced the importance of continuing to build inclusive pathways within our sport. As we work towards seeing sailing included in the Paralympic Games at Brisbane 2032, collaboration with organisations such as Vision Sports Ireland will be essential. Excitingly, a group of visually impaired sailors from Galway are already aiming to compete at the World Sailing Inclusion Championships in Poland in July 2027.