Page 30 - Autumn 2012

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30 Differences between the age groups
64% of blind and 66% partially sighted people were aged 75
or over. Age breakdown of people registered is similar for blind
and for partially sighted people, with no large changes in recent
years. The number of blind people on the register has increased in
most age groups. However, the 75 and over age group has fallen by
2,400 (2%) from 2006.
The number of people registered as partially sighted aged
under 75 rose by 3,100 (6%) between March 2006 and March 2008,
whilst those aged 75 and over decreased by 2,100 (2%).
Registrations of people with an additional disability
44,900 (29%) of those registered blind and 43,500 (28%) of those
registered partially sighted were also recorded with an additional dis-
ability, excluding those councils who supplied no figures for the ad-
ditional disability section of the return.
Of those people registered as blind with an additional disability,
4% have a mental health problem, 8% have a learning disability, 60% have a physical disability
and 27% have a hearing impairment. Of those people registered as partially sighted with an ad-
ditional disability, 4% have a mental health problem, 4% have a learning disability, 61% have a
physical disability and 30% have a hearing impairment.
It has taken me a while to find the space and returning to my opening comment, this article
was originally prompted by a real case involving two registered blind players. Playing in a local
one-day pair’s tournament involving timed games. There was a tournament rule which stated
that skips could not visit the head. This is quite a common local rule and was to prevent wasting
time and especially deliberate time wasting. However, the lead player who was at the head was
apparently not able to agree the shot or shots as his particular sight impairment made it impos-
sible to see at close levels.
The skip then wanted to go to the head to agree the shots as he could see a little but the
tournament organiser stuck to his guns and said no visiting the head. As I understand it, a some-
what heated exchange then took place between the skip and the tournament organiser, as whilst
the no visiting the head was a local rule, in the case of these two registered blind players, it then
apparently clashed with a National ESMBA rule. This allows the skip to go to the head to agree
the shot or shots in the case of a dispute. However, this only applies to the third in a four and
the second in a triple lead in a pair is not included anywhere so technically the skip cannot visit
the head except in the skips rules.
They do not specifically say which discipline; it does say that with the opposing skip they
will decide on all disputed points or shots. So this could and should be applied but I do realise
that some bowlers are so competitive that they cannot give way on anything. If they wish to find
out what it is like, try playing a game blindfolded.
Be that as it may, I may not have got all the specific points of the dispute 100% correct
and I have left out thoughts on clashing personalities and that there may be two sides to a story.
I merely use this to show that problems between able bodied players and other players with a
disability can arise and that the very rare commodity of common-sense should be applied. I
have sympathy with the organiser getting through a timed tournament in a day with a rule that
is there for the good running of the tournament and I have sympathy for the two registered blind
players, who actually went on and won the tournament but I feel the organiser should perhaps
have been a bit more flexible and the bowlers more understanding and persuasive.
It has even been said to me in the past by a club captain referring to a disability that bowling
with a chute is an advantage! Brain dead doesn’t quite sum this comment up. In the notes in
Appendix 5 “Guidelines for bowlers with bowling difficulties”. Part of the opening statement
msays “It is expected that every accomodation should be made for any disabilities either tem-
porary or permanent”.