MSOE’s Baseball Team, in collaboration with Vision Forward Association, hosted a Beep Baseball event for area youth who are blind or visually impaired. The event gave children a unique opportunity to play the game of baseball in a way that was adapted to rely more on sound than sight.  

MSOE baseball players introduced the children to the fundamentals of baseball through several hands-on-experiences. The children handled baseball equipment, such as bats, balls, mitts and catcher’s equipment prior to playing the game.  

When it was time to play ball, the students took the field alongside MSOE’s players. The bases and balls beeped—giving the students with vision loss audible cues to help support them while playing.  

Many youth with vision loss often are excluded from opportunities relating to athletics because of their vision loss. This Beep Baseball event also gives MSOE students the opportunity to fully understand the daily challenges that vision loss can cause, and inspire them to include these considerations in their future careers as problem solvers, product designers, engineers, business professionals and nurses.