Visually Impaired/Blind, and Wheelchair Curling start Nov. 5 in Cornwall

ParaSport and Recreation PEI will be running Visually Impaired/Blind, and Wheelchair curling at the Cornwall Curling Club, on Thursday evenings from 8-10 pm, starting Nov. 5.

To register, or for more info, please contact the ParaSport and Recreation PEI office (902-368-4540
or [email protected]). Registration Fee is $50.00 for the season, which runs through March.

Wheelchair Curling

Wheelchair curling is an adaptation of curling for athletes with a disability that affects their lower limbs or gait. Wheelchair curling is governed by the World Curling Federation, and is one of the sports in the Winter Paralympic Games.

Wheelchair curling is played with the same rocks and on the same ice as regular curling, though the rocks are thrown from a wheelchair and there is no sweeping. Rocks may be thrown by hand by leaning over the side of the wheelchair, or pushed with a delivery stick. A delivery stick is a pole with a bracket that fits over the rock handle, allowing the rock to be pushed. In Wheelchair curling, each team must be comprised of male and female players.

Visually Impaired/Blind Curling

ParaSport PEI Photo: Visually Impaired curler Stella, with coach Sarah, at a recent intro session in Crapaud

Curling for the Visually Impaired/Blind is essentially the same as regular curling. The difference is that each team has a sighted guide to assist the players in their rock delivery. The guide first describes the location of the rocks in the house and the type of shot that the skip has requested. The guide then assists each player in delivering the rock. Depending on the degree of visual impairment of the player, the guide may hold the broom at a short distance in front of the player, set a flashlight on the line of delivery or communicate with the player to ensure that they are lined up correctly in the hack.