The United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA), a member organization of the United States Olympic Committee, aims to enhance the lives of blind and visually impaired people by providing the opportunity for participation in sports and physical activity. The USABA has trained world-class blind athletes, but more importantly, champions grassroot efforts to provide blind and visually impaired athletes with the skills they need to participate alongside their sighted peers.

Each year more than 30,000 blind and visually impaired youth are left on the sidelines because they don't know the necessary skills and adaptations to participate. Through programs such as our National Sports Education Camp Project, the goal of USABA is to provide more than 3,000 youth with the skills needed to participate in not only their PE classes, but on sports teams with sighted youth.

USABA membership also provides the opportunity for the blind and visually impaired to participate in sports camps and clinics as well as regional and national competitions with other blind athletes.

Although some USABA athletes have gone on to compete in the Paralympics and even the Olympics, the skills learned through sports are beneficial in all aspects of every child's daily life. Here at USABA, we value the life-enhancing aspects of sports and the opportunity to showcase the abilities of people who are blind and visually impaired. We envision a world in which all individuals who are blind or visually impaired have the same opportunity to discover their athletic potential as well as pursue their dreams.

Mark Lucas, Executive Director, E-mail: mlucas@usaba.org
Ryan Ortiz, Assistant Executive Director, E-mail: rortiz@usaba.org
John Potts, Director of Sports Programs, E-mail: jpotts@usaba.org
Rich Cardillo, Military Sports Coordinator, E-mail: military@usaba.org

Offers the following:

• Opportunity to participate in sports camps and clinics as well as regional and national competitions
• Liability and secondary medical insurance for USABA events
• Calendar of athletic events and conferences for the entire year
• Contact information for other individuals with similar athletic interests in your area
• Re-designed newsletter in large print and available on audiocassette
• Web site with up to date information on USABA news and events
• Access to USABA specific sport listservs