(BSA #33063 © 1974 1994 printing) 

The introduction poses the following: "The question that every blind Scout and his leader should ask is not "Can I do this activity?" but rather "HOW can I do this activity?"" Remove the word blind, and the question applies to all of us.

The first piece of sage advice is to discard old notions. Vision is so much a part of most lives that we forget how much we learn, though that knowledge is incomplete, without integrating the other senses. Touch, taste, smell, and hearing help compensate for what the sighted person takes for granted or suppresses below some threshold. A light outdoor breeze, fully appreciated, can yield information.

Scouting manuals are available in Braille, large print, and on tape. And, speech synthesis can convey the meanings of these individual pixels. There are also Braille compasses and watches and other tactile training aids. Described are the leadership demands in mixed units and the careful balance necessary so that neither leaders nor Scouts do too much for the boy, and inhibit his learning.

Blindness is not an impediment to enjoying the fruits of Scouting. Philmont's Tooth of Time has been climbed by the blind. But, tips for pursuing everyday Scouting are abundant: from pitching tents to knot tying; tactile learning of nature in the outdoors and in controlled situations such as museums; outdoor cookery from the use of a knife, ax, or saw, through the securing of fuel and building a fire, to the preparation of the meal; and, the use of maps and development of compass skills.

An appendix provides numerous resources for information and available materials and equipment for Scouting activities.

Article XI, Section 3, Clause 19 of the BSA Rules and regulations reads, in part: ...under such rules and regulations as may be prescribed upon consultation with appropriate medical authorities, registration of boys who are either mentally retarded or severely physically handicapped...as Cub Scouts...over age 18 as Boy Scouts, or Varsity Scouts, and registration of young adults...over age 21 as Explorers, and the participation of each in the respective advancement programs while registered, is authorized.