Beep Baseball: Adapted game lets visually impaired, blind kids play ball

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- For the past 8 years, visually impaired or blind children have been able to take a swing at America's pastime thanks to a modified version of the game that focuses on other senses.

"I hear you loud and clear!" said 18-year-old Javon Glass to the ball he affectionately calls "Mr. Beeper."

Glass is just one of over 50 kids who came out to play the game at the Kern Center at Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE) last month.

"I love beeper baseball because I love all the sounds. Plus, it helps me when I'm in the outfield find the ball," Glass said. "It's so much fun, and I feel like I'm included!"

The game uses balls and bases that beep to help the kids know where to swing and run. In 2015, MSOE Head Baseball Coach Steve Sanfilippo learned all about the game, so kids like Javon could experience it.

"There's a little pin that pulls out of the ball, it starts to beep, they're able to hear that, they'll take a swing at it," he said. "Wherever the ball goes, they have to go to the opposite bag."

Sanfilippo said it all started when a friend reached out to him.

"A friend of mine had a daughter that was visually impaired, and he said, 'Hey, there's a really cool organization called Vision Forward, they're looking for a baseball team to help out with beep baseball,' and I'm like, what is beep baseball?" he said. "He explained it to me as a ball that beeps and a bag that beeps, and the kids will have a great time playing a sport that they typically wouldn't be able to play, and I'm like yeah, let's bring it in."

Since then, his team has organized the event with Vision Forward Association, a non-profit helping blind or visually impaired people in our community.

"We work to provide education, training, and support as well as some really unique activities like today, to bring people together with vision loss and to give them opportunities to really be empowered and enhance their lives," Vision Forward Association CEO Jaclyn Borchardt said.

"As many of 70% of children who are blind or visually impaired do not participate in sports or even in sporting activities, or gym class, so it's really essential that we give them an opportunity to be active."

The annual event is all about getting kids to play the game.

"I feel like it’s a good opportunity for people who are disabled to be still able to play sports," 12-year-old Ava Sanderson said. "At first, I was pretty nervous, and I didn't know what it was going to be like, but it ended up pretty fun."

The event is not just a homerun for the players.

"It's really important for the parents to get a chance to see what their children can do. Oftentimes, with any disability, the focus is what can't be done, and we really want to flip the page on this and talk about the things that can be done," Borchardt said.

For Javon's mother, Jantell Glass, seeing the joy the game brings her son and other kids who share his struggles is the best part of the event.

"I love it. I come every year to watch the kids. They enjoy themselves; they communicate, they're just happy," she said. "The excitement that it brings [Javon]. He is always energetic, the first to run out and get or hit the ball."

Javon has played in the beep baseball game every year.

"The best part is hitting and running to my favorite base that makes my favorite sound," he said.

Vision Forward Association is an independent organization promoting personal development, career growth, and community awareness for visually impaired or blind people in our community. For more information on Vision Forward Association, visit vision-forward.org.