About Us

British Blind Sport Archery Section is run by its own committee made up of visually impaired archers, and people experienced in visually impaired archery.

We want to encourage people of all ages to take part in visually impaired archery. It is a fully inclusive sport with visually impaired archers able to compete against each other; against sighted archers on score, or against sighted archers by using the Archery GB handicap system. Archers can shoot to relax, with friends or at a competitive level be that locally, regionally, nationally or internationally.

There is information on this website to help visually impaired archers, their helpers - called ‘spotters’, and coaches.

If you cannot find the information you are looking for please contact the BBS-AS Secretary (link to Secretary on Committee Contacts page) and we will do our very best to help.

A Brief History of Visually Impaired Archery

Archery for visually impaired people has been around since the early 1970's. Initially there were a number of challenges: how could people with reduced sight or none at all, shoot a bow and arrow? How could they aim at a target and see where the arrows had landed?

An early method of helping an archer to line themselves up with the target and give them a way to aim was a hospital drip stand fitted with a cross piece at the top with brush bristles at the end. The hand holding the bow rested against these bristles. This is called “the back of the hand method” and is now the most widely used method although the tactile equipment has improved since the 1970's.

The creation of British Blind Sport Archery Section

Very few archery clubs were accessible to visually impaired (VI) archers until 1985 when a group of VI archers met with representatives of the Grand National Archery Association (now Archery GB) and developed rules for VI Archery. This meant that VI Archers could be included in all archery events and shoot alongside sighted archers. After this meeting the British Blind Sport Archery Section (BBS-AS) was created and now visually impaired archers belong to archery clubs throughout the UK.