Crackpot council's pounds 5k 0n BLIND SQUASH (...even though there are NO sightless players); EXCLUSIVE.Byline: BY ROY BAYLISS BARMY Midlands council chiefs are giving tips on playing squash - to the blind. New signs have been installed inside Halesowen Leisure Centre at a cost of pounds 5,300 to help centre-users find their way around. But the wording is also written in Braille, including in and around the squash courts area where advice is given on acceptable sports shoes and on-court safety. Last night, Dudley Council, which owns the leisure centre, defended the decision to give tips to non-existent blind squash players This is a list of notable top international players of the racquet sport squash. Names are hightlighted in bold if the player has officially been ranked the World No. . Campaigners for the blind supported the new signs - even though only about 1 in 100 blind people read Braille. One regular squash player at Halesowen Leisure Centre said: "The signs are useful, especially for firsttime users finding their way around, and no doubt the Braille is helpful to the blind and visually-impaired. But while blind people participate in all kinds of sport and physical activity, including football, they don't play squash, so I can't understand why the signs in the squash court Noun 1. squash court - the indoor court in which squash is played court - a specially marked horizontal area within which a game is played; "players had to reserve a court in advance" area are in Braille, too." As well as Braille signs indicating the location of the squash courts, there are notices on the doors saying that black-soled shoes must not be worn on the courts to stop the wooden floors becoming marked. They also say: "Knock and wait" - to prevent people walking on to court when a match is in progress, which would be extremely dangerous Exteremely Dangerous is a 1999 four part series for ITV starring Sean Bean as an ex-MI5 undercover agent convicted of the brutal murder of his wife and child who goes on the run to try and clear his name. He sets out to follow up a strange clue sent to him in prison. . There are 370,000 registered blind people in Britain although the total number is estimated at around two million. Only about 20,000 of them can read Braille because it is hard to learn and is mainly taught to people who are blind from birth, while most blind people lose their sight later in life, especially in old age. Eleanor Ellison of the Royal National Institute of Blind People The Royal National Institute of Blind People[1] (RNIB) is a charity with its headquarters based in London, England, set up by Thomas Rhodes Armitage to lobby for and help people who are blind or partially sighted. Its patron is the Queen. , said: "Blind and visually-impaired people are able to play many sports, but not squash." A Dudley Council spokesman said: "Council leisure centres are available for everyone and we pride ourselves on making sure people of all abilities have access to information and facilities. We consulted extensively with the Access in Dudley group, which campaigns on behalf of local people with disabilities, before installing the signs at Halesowen to make sure everyone can find their way around the building. "The signs conform to Verb 1. conform to - satisfy a condition or restriction; "Does this paper meet the requirements for the degree?" fit, meet coordinate - be co-ordinated; "These activities coordinate well" legislation set out in the Disability Discrimination Act and standards set out by the Royal National Institute of Blind People." The spokesman said the squash courts were sometimes used for other activities, including aerobics, martial arts This is a list of martial arts, broken down by region and style. African martial arts Eritrea
SundayMercury@sundaymercury.net CAPTION(S): WHERE'S THE BALL? Blind people play many sports - but squash is not one of them. Above, the sign, complete with Braille, at Halesowen Leisure Centre |
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