Assoc. Info

Our Short Term Goals

• To provide a user friendly worldwide web site that will fulfill our mission. To be completed by June of 2005.

• To attend VA Golden Age games, to participate in the blind and visually impaired horseshoe pitching tournaments. This group of blinded veterans will be our core group to provide information on assistive devices and methods so that the blind and visually impaired can pitch horseshoes with their sited peers. To be completed by May of 2005.

• To disseminate information on the USBHPA by any and all forms of public information. To be completed by December of 2005.

• To survey the availability of horseshoe courts at the eleven VA Medical Centers that provide blind rehabilitation training. To be completed by December of 2005.

• To survey the availability for horseshoe courts at schools for the blind and other places where the blind and visually impaired gather. To be completed by December of 2005.

Our Long Term Goals

Once donations and grants come rolling in the USBHPA will accomplish the following:

• To establish tournaments for the blind and visually impaired including a national championship.

• To produce an instructional and public relations video on blind and visually impaired horseshoe pitching.

• To write, publish and distribute the first book written on horseshoe pitching for the blind and visually impaired.

Our Mission

• To promote the sport of horseshoe pitching for the blind and visually impaired throughout the United States.

• To educate the general public and sighted horseshoe pitchers that blind and visually impaired horseshoe pitchers can excel at the sport.

• To develop assistive devices and methods for blind and visually impaired players so that they may compete with minimal disadvantage

• To maintain a National information database on horseshoe pitching, horseshoe pitchers associations, resource materials and locations of horseshoe pitching courts for the blind and visually impaired participants.

• To act as a national clearinghouse on organizations of and for the blind, and for national and community organizations that assists the blind and visually impaired.

• To identify blind, visually impaired and sighted horseshoe pitchers as well as all other individuals who want to be involved. These individuals will be known as “MIDNITE RINGERS”.

ABOUT THE FOUNDER

Dr. Dennis R. Wyant is a retired Senior Executive for the Federal government where he served in high level positions including a sub-cabinet position and as a staff member of both White House Commissions and Presidential Committees. Dr. Wyant has been the top administrator for Veterans Employment, GI Bill of Educational and Vocational Rehabilitation for Disabled Veterans for the federal government.

Since an accident in Naval Flight Training, Ensign Wyant has been a legally blind, 100% disabled veteran of the Vietnam Era. A former National President of the Blinded Veterans Association, he presently is the National Secretary of the Blinded American Veterans Foundation.

With a MBA in Marketing and a Doctorate in Adult Education and Vocational Rehabilitation, Dennis is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor who has authored several articles, given many presentations and helped to establish veterans’ rehabilitation programs around the world.

A Black Belt in karate, competitive runner, and certified SCUBA diver, Dr. Wyant was a member of the US Disabled Water Ski Team and competed internationally to set five World records and win three World Championships.

As a Golfer Wannabe, he was a member of the last three US Blind Golf Teams that competed in the World Championships in Edinburgh Scotland, Winnipeg Canada and in Melbourne, Australia where he finished second in his division.

Presently, Dr. Wyant is forming the U S Blind Horseshoe Pitchers’ Association. Members who join the Association will be known as a “MIDNITE RINGER”.