Good vision and concentration is indispensable for playing darts well. One may find it hard to believe that people with visual impairment can also play darts well. Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU) is committed to promoting inclusion of people with disabilities, so the Student Affairs Office co-organised the “Darts For All Tournament 2023” with the Hong Kong Blind Sports Federation (HKBSF) for the first time last weekend. A total of 20 enthusiastic HKMU student volunteers provided support in the tournament, pairing up with 30 athletes with visual impairment to compete for the championship. All the participants spent an enjoyable morning together.
During the tournament, HKMU students became “peers” for the athletes with visual impairment. They helped the athletes find the right dart-throwing direction by providing audio descriptions. The athletes had a wonderful time at the tournament and made precious friendships with the student volunteers through close collaboration in the games. The event also enabled HKMU students to learn from a new perspective. It helped enhance their understanding of the needs of people with visual impairment and the difficulties they face in their daily lives and motivate them to offer support and encouragement to them, thus developing the spirit of helping others.
Queenie Leung, a Year 4 student in the School of Arts and Social Sciences, said she found the experience of being a volunteer of the tournament very meaningful and rewarding, as it not only deepened her understanding of the needs of athletes and other people with visual impairment, but also enabled her to develop friendships with them. She said, “People may think that it should be easier for us (normally sighted persons) to hit the target because we can see the dartboard. But after I tried it myself, I found that even though I could see the dartboard, I wasn't as accurate as some of the athletes with visual impairment. In fact, what they need is more encouragement from us and confidence in themselves.”
Kelvin Poon, a Year 1 student in the School of Nursing and Health Studies, expressed his admiration for the courage and determination of the athletes. He said, “When I was helping the athletes, they placed their trust in both me and themselves, and they were not afraid of anything in the process. They were determined to move forward. I wish I could be as courageous as they are.”
This was the first time the HKBSF co-organised a darts tournament with a higher-education institution. It was also the first time HKMU's Student Affairs Office partnered with a non-government organisation to host a sports service-learning activity for people with visual impairment.
The athletes were beneficiaries of the “White Cane Programme”, a service learning programme organised by HKMU's Student Affairs Office. The programme aims to encourage people with visual impairment to engage in a more active lifestyle and HKMU students to help them play sports and gain confidence along the way.
