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Allegheny County Executive Sara Innamorato recently announced the opening of the county’s first Blind and Visually Impaired (BVI) tennis courts at four local parks.

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The courts debuted in July at four Allegheny County parks – Boyce, North, Settlers Cabin, and South Park. The courts are designed to accommodate athletes with low vision as well as fully-sighted players and promote inclusivity in the community.

Low-vision, or “sound ball” tennis, is played on a slightly smaller court with a slower, foam sound ball that has a rattle inside of it. Players track the ball by sound and, if they have partial vision, using the vision they have. 

The new courts enable athletes to walk on the court without bringing temporary tape lines each time.

Low-Vision Tennis

A recent study by Carlow University examined how blind or visually impaired athletes react to different sounds emitted by specialized tennis balls. Psychology professor Jennifer K. Roth, who led the study, is also involved with local and national tennis associations that are drawing attention to the sport and expanding access for low-vision players.

The United States Blind Tennis Association, which is based in Pittsburgh, is at the forefront of integrating blind and visually impaired tennis into mainstream sports. Since its inception, the association has conducted training and introduced programming across multiple states.

“When I talk about building a county for all, that means places people feel connected to their neighbors and communities and parks for everyone to enjoy, and this project really embodies that ethos,” Innamorato said.