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Visual impairment no obstacle to recreation – Metro US

Visual impairment no obstacle to recreation

When Lawrence Euteneier was five years old, he learned to fish. When he began losing his eyesight three years later, he didn’t give up his favourite pastime.

“There are a million people with vision loss in Canada,” said the Ottawa resident. “A lot of these guys sell the boat, sell the gear and sit on the couch. But you don’t have to. You can still fish.”

The public speaker and founder of BlindFishingBoat.com, an organization that sets up fishing adventures for visually impaired people with sighted guides, Euteneier — who invented the world’s first fishing boat for the blind by adapting existing technologies so that people with visual impairments can go fishing on their own — is also an exhibitor at this weekend’s Ottawa Boat and Sportsmen’s Show.

More than 25,000 outdoor enthusiasts are expected to attend the 35th annual show, which began Thursday at Lansdowne Park and runs through Sunday.

The show features three buildings of new boats, kayaks, ATVs, and outdoor equipment, as well as celebrity speakers like Bob Izumi, said show spokeswoman Andrea Lukac.

“Ottawa has the most diverse and best fishing that exists in any city — it’s world-class fishing at your doorstep,” said Canadian fishing champion (Big) Jim McLaughlin. “We have many species of fish and some major waterways.”