Cammy wrote:
>Are there very many
disabled Quiz Bowlers? I mean, >because I'm autistic, I
talked with
>someone whose blind wife competed,
and I also >heard that there was a deaf team
once...
>How common/rare is this, anyway?
Cammy -- I
recall at least one totally blind player. I think his
first name was Brad, but I don't remember his last
name. He was a mainstay of the Stanford team in the
mid-nineties.
Western Michigan's club briefly had a member who had
cerebral palsy, although she didn't go out for the
traveling team. Her mobility impairment was mild to
moderate, and it didn't seem to affect her buzzer ability.
(I'd personally be interested in knowing whether
anyone has designed a system for players with limited
hand and arm mobility, especially since a close
relative of mine lived with rather severe CP.)
I
believe there have been several other QBers with
varieties of autism, but can't confirm this. I've also
known at least one high school player in Michigan who
used a wheelchair. So, there have definitely been
numerous players for whom a disability was no barrier to
picking up a buzzer!
Good luck!
Julie