Friday morning, Keysor students learned how blind people play America’s favorite past time, baseball. Wilma Chestnut, founder of the blind baseball team the St. Louis Firing Squad, talked to students about a modified version of baseball also known as beep ball. 

In beep ball, the balls beep and bases buzz which makes the game completely auditory instead of visual. During the presentation at Keysor, students wore blindfolds while attempting to hit the beep ball and run to the buzzing bases. 

Chestnut’s team is the only beep ball team in Missouri that is registered with the National Beep Ball Association (NBBA). The team travels to regional competitions and participates in the NBBA World Series.

When the team is not playing beep ball, they visit outreach programs and schools to create awareness. “We show sighted children how to play and demonstrate that we might have to play a little differently, but we’re all the same,” said Chestnut.

The beep ball event at Keysor is in conjunction with Missouri House Bill 555, which designates October as "Disability History and Awareness Month."

The goals of disability history and awareness month include instilling sensitivity in students for fellow students with disabilities, and a creation of a more inclusive school community.

Kirkwood Patch would like to thank Lisa Wade of the Kirkwood School District for sharing the above information with our readers.