LAWRENCE — Sixteen blind and visually impaired children and teenagers will have the chance to learn to water ski this weekend in a program at the Bashara Boathouse, 1 Eaton St.
They will participate in a clinic taught by Leaps of Faith Disabled Water-skis Club of Connecticut.
"It's not difficult to teach them," said Joel Zeisler, founder and director of Leaps of Faith. "Blind children are pretty much taught the same way as a seeing person, except that there is a lot of verbal instruction and you have to be more patient."
A specially adapted 20-feet boat will be used.
Participants will be taught basic techniques of water-skiing, Zeisler said. He began the club in 1991, when he was approached by a blind man who wanted to learn the sport.
"It was a challenge for me, as well as for them," Zeisler said. "Hence the name, 'Leaps of Faith.'"
This is the first time the club is hosting a clinic for the visually impaired in Massachusetts. He was contacted by Ellen Minzner, whose cousin works with the visually impaired and told Minzner about Leaps of Faith. The clinic is for youths 7 to 17.
Minzner recruited Nelson Ortiz, director of the city's Recreation Department, who runs the Jennifer Ortiz Foundation, and John Faro of Lawrence Heritage State Park's Department of Conservation and Recreation Universal Accessibility program.
Ortiz visited local schools and contacted officials at Lowell Association for the Blind looking for participants.
"This is an experimental thing for them, where they can do something they never thought they could do before," said Minzner, rowing coach at the community boating program.
"This gives them a sense of adventure where many times they are sidelined because of their disability," she said. "This empowers the kids."
