Did you know D.C. has a hockey club for blind players? The Washington Blind Hockey Club gives blind and visually impaired people a place to enjoy the sport together.
Goalie Doug Goist, who played internationally this month for Team USA, told News4 how it works.
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WATCH HERE“We have an adapted puck. It's made of steel and has metal ball bearings in it, so it really makes a loud racket,” he said.
The net is smaller, and skaters play according to their vision levels. The offensive forwards have the highest levels of vision.
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SIGN UP The game is noisy, but Goist said he’s learned to filter out the noise.
“You really have to rely on your teammates. They’re always communicating whether the puck is right, left, so forth,” he said.
By day, Goist works for the National Industries for the Blind in Alexandria. The group works to provide jobs and training programs for people who are blind and have impaired vision.
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“There are so many technology tools that can read things now with artificial intelligence. It can actually break down charts and give you summaries. I stay on top of all the cutting-edge technologies that are available,” Goist said. “So, there's nothing that you can't do in an office and even outside the office, using different tools, to be able to continue life just like anybody else.”
