UNO camp uses beep kickball to build independence for visually impaired kids

Beeping balls and sound-marked bases turned kickball into a contest visually impaired children could own at the University of Nebraska Omaha’s Aim for the Stars camp during a July 24 session. The program paired beep kickball with archery, building a day around independence and inclusion instead of simple accommodation.

Beep kickball’s design is straightforward and intentional. The adapted sport uses a beeping ball and bases that emit sound, giving players audio targets they can track by ear on a flat grass field. Official rules call for five starting players on the field, while rosters may include as many players as possible, a structure that lets campers rotate through action without shrinking the game’s competitive shape.

The sport has been built for visually impaired and blind athletes from the start. Judy Byrd, director of the Beep Kickball Association in Atlanta, introduced beep kickball to children at the National Federation of the Blind’s 2014 convention, and the association says its mission is to enrich the lives of visually impaired people through sports. That mission centers on confidence, leadership, perseverance, camaraderie, exercise and sportsmanship, and the model has since shown up in other cities as well. A 2024 Kansas City report described beeping balls giving visually impaired kids a chance to play kickball there, underscoring that the format works beyond one camp setting.

Aim for the Stars has spent 25 summers as UNO’s premier hands-on, informal science and math camp in the Omaha metro area. The 2026 program served students in grades 3-9 and ran June 1-July 31, with tuition assistance available for one camp per child at half tuition. Families needing special accommodations were asked to request them one week in advance by calling 402-554-4999 or TTY 402-554-3799, or by emailing unoaimforthestars@unomaha.edu. Erin Dahl directs the camp, and the beep kickball session showed how a familiar diamond-and-basepaths game can be rebuilt around skill, independence and real competition.