There's a long list of childhood pleasures visually impaired kids are forced to miss out on because of their disability. The circus doesn't have to be one of them.
Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey, the folks that lay claim to the Greatest Show on Earth, have done one pretty great thing for kids. They've added a "Blind Touch Tour" to their schedule, allowing visually-impaired kids their own day at the circus, a day when the kids get to go behind the scenes, have a meet and greet with the performers, even try out the equipment and don clown suits.
Reminding me of the post our own Strollerderby blogger Amy wrote last year about AMC Theatres new showings for kids with autism, a CNN piece about the Ringling Bros. efforts highlights how important it is that every child have access to the rites of passage of childhood. Not every kid makes it to the circus during their childhood, but they should. They should see the clowns up close and personal (if only so they can make up their mind to be freakishly terrified of them for the rest of their lives!) and watch the trapeze artists fly with the greatest of ease.
For the visually-impaired, in particular, the Ringling Bros. touch and feel show is the only way they could experience the circus - they can't watch on the internet or tv the way an autistic child or a child with cerebral palsy could.They need to grab hold of a clown's nose, sit atop the giant motorcyle, smell the elephant poop (OK, maybe not that last one - but that's part of the circus experience too!).
I couldn't find anything about the tour on the Ringling Bros. Website, but if you're getting a craving for a circus visit, you can see when they're coming to your town.
Image: CNN
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