Just laughed at a disability. Thought it would never happen .

[KissWithAFistula]

Watching darts on TV and is sponsored by PaddyPower. They have a little ad at beginning showing footballers running around with cotton wool type blindfolds on.

PC me scoffed at the wrongness of taking the piss out of disability, to be told that in actual fact blind people do play football. In addition, they all have to wear blindfolds to ensure there are no "ringers".

I laughed at the thought of blindfolded men running into one another whilst pretending to be blind. Not worst thing that could happen but have always believed that you shouldn't be automatically precluded from anything if disabled.

Thought I would be beyond the snigger type humour that disabilities can cause, but obviously I'm not.

So am I unreasonable to have a knee jerk reaction that is innapropriate and out of character, or does everyone secretly laugh at such things?

DISCLAIMER: Can't say IABU for watching darts, 'tis DH not I

can't decide whether YABU or not.......still trying to fathom how on earth a blind person would play football..........is it just me??

I have seen that advert and tbh I was gobsmacked it was allowed.

There's a bell inside the ball. They used to play at our local park.

There are a couple of strange PaddyPower ads on at the moment.

You weren't laughing at their blindness, you were laughing at the concept of people pretending to be blind and playing football. So fair enough.

Apparently, there are ball bearings in the football so they can "hear" the ball. Had to check all this online because it all sounds like a shit joke.

Whole separate thread on how men know so much about sport and all it's off shoots

Yes, but small part was incongruity of blind people participating in a sport that relies so heavily on sight

I used to work at a blindness agency - our website designer was completely blind (prosthetic eyes, too!)

Our website was fab, actually - but I still don't really understand how he did it?

but how would they know where the other players were.........or where the goal is? I'm intrigued now!

I'm usually pretty PC, but I must admit that I was once when I read a suggestion that there should be more football referees with disabilities. I can't imagine many disabilities that would be compatible with being a football referee.

Actually, it kind of brings up whole other subject with me. I can be so scared of offending someone that I will live in ignorance rather than ask a question that may offend.

Good example is cancer, so worried about not upsetting someone found myself with very close family member facing cancer and not having first idea about treatment options etc.

Feel like I'm now helping blind community at large by explaining rules of blind football.

Diamonds and Tiaras Goalie is only one that can be sighted.

So now you know...any more feel like am doing appropriate penance?

Is it only me, or are you missing the point?! It's not a joke that people with visual impairment play football in an accessible way, but that a cat runs onto the pitch with a bell collar on and...

I thinks it's a brilliant and funny advert!!

YANBU.

I remember someone at work telling me a tale of their colleague from years back (well before PC came into action!) that they were sitting outside a shop and she said 'that chap looks like he's got a touch of the Down's'. What an utterly stupid comment to make yet plenty saw the funny side. Either you have Down's or you don't.

Used to work with severely visually impaired children. They loved playing ballgames when we got the ball-with-bell.

I remember collapsing in laughter as they introduced Tony David into the darts arena and explaining that he had overcome a lot to succeed at darts, being a haemophiliac. Hearing them say this as little sharpened bits of metal flew round the room struck me as exquisitely funny at the time.

I am a bad person.

AfteInfo sorry, only say tail end of advert so didn't get/see punchline.

KissWithAFistula - you really should look out for it now! Brilliant!!

SofH LOL at haemophiliac dart player - what were they doing using him as target practice?

My dss used to help out at his cricket.club when the blind.sessions were played. Same deal, bell in the ball but the mind still boggles...

My old boss tried out for the blind landspeed record. He was a really nice man, but I cannot think of many things more foolhardy...

Has anyone seen goalball before? it's really fascinating. it's a sport for the blind. Everyone wears a blindfold in the game. And I would imagine football would be easier than volleyball or tennis..... althoug some people have really good sight, but are still considered visually impaired.

"I have seen that advert and tbh I was gobsmacked it was allowed."

We checked with an association for the Blind before we allowed it, to ensure than those with visual impairments would be unlikely to be offended.

"those with visual impairments would be unlikely to be offended"

On the other hand, I am sure they wouldn't see the funny side of it :P

It's seriously impressive that they can play blind, but remember that many disabled people, especially those who have had disabilities since birth, are more in tune with their other senses.

A blind person would be more likely to be able to pinpoint location accurately using sound than a sighted person, just because they are used to using hearing for that purpose whereas a sighted person would use their eyes.

Similarly, blind people are more aware of people/objects around them than you would be if you just shut your eyes and tried to walk around- if you ever stop to assist a blind person (eg on the tube/bus), they can always take your arm straight away- they never fumble around for it. They just know where you are.

check here

dh and I were lucky enough to sit on a a training session with this group. It was amazing watching them playing.