Paris meeting marks promising step forward for international future of Blind Baseball

A meeting hosted in Paris by the National Institute for Blind Youth (INJA – Institut National des Jeunes Aveugles) has marked a significant milestone in the international development of Blind Baseball, strengthening cooperation between global institutions and setting clear objectives for future growth.

INJA, one of the founding members of the Luis Braille Campus — a European centre of excellence dedicated to promoting autonomy for blind and visually impaired people — welcomed representatives from sport federations and international organisations committed to inclusive sport.

Among the participants were INJA Director Thibaut De Martimprey; WBSC Paralympic Commission incumbent Member Tom Nagel, representing the French Blind Baseball Association; French Blind Baseball Association (ABBF) President and French Baseball and Softball Federation (FFBS) delegate Jean-Marie Boulay; Bob Schwarz and Sahar Al Tabbal from the United Nations Sports Inclusive Initiative (UNSII) in Vienna; Juan Frias-Velatti on behalf of UNESCO; and Franco Buttignon of the Italian Blind Baseball Association (AIBxC), a WBSC Associate Member.

The meeting built on the success of a pioneering Blind Baseball project developed in Vienna by UNSII and AIBxC, in cooperation with the Federal Institute for the Blind (BBI – Bundes-Blindeninstitut). That initiative introduced visually impaired children aged 8 to 16 to Blind Baseball and is now serving as a benchmark for further development in France.

Participants agreed on the objective of establishing a dedicated group of blind and visually impaired players in Paris, with the next steps focusing on introducing young people to Blind Baseball and developing a shared strategy linked to Mini-Baseball for the Blind.

Founded in 1784 by Valentin Haüy, INJA was the world’s first institute dedicated to the education of blind youth. One of its most famous students was Louis Braille, who developed the tactile writing system that bears his name while studying at INJA at the age of 15.

“The values of solidarity and inclusion are at the heart of this project,” said Bob Schwarz, highlighting principles that are also central to UNESCO’s mission.

“It was a fruitful meeting that contributes further to the work the WBSC is doing in the area of development and international cooperation in Blind Baseball,” commented AIBxC President and WBSC Paralympic Commission member Eva Trevisan.

The long-term goal for Blind Baseball remains integration into the Paralympic Movement.