Athlete and UCLan student Rainbow shows how inclusive sport can be during UK Disability History Month
Athlete and University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) student Rainbow Mbuangi is marking UK Disability History Month by raising awareness of Paralympic sport goalball.
The 19-year-old foundation year sport and physical education student delivered a goalball masterclass for his peers to show them how enjoyable, competitive and inclusive the sport is.
Rainbow, who also plays for The England Blind Football Team, represents the Mersey Sharks in goalball. He said: “Goalball is an indoor, 3-aside team sport for athletes with visual impairment where players have to throw the ball along the floor into the opposition’s goal while defending their own goal. All players are required to wear eyeshades to make the game fair.”
Goalball was originally established after World War Two to help rehabilitate visually impaired veterans and has grown considerably over the last 60 years. It’s now played in 112 countries and has been a Paralympic sport since 1976.
"By showing able-bodied people how fun and competitive goalball is, I want to help make the sport more accessible and inclusive for all."
— Foundation year sport and physical education student Rainbow Mbuangi
“I’ve been playing the sport since 2016 when I took part in a taster session at school and realised how much I enjoy it,” said Rainbow. “By showing able-bodied people how fun and competitive goalball is, I want to help make the sport more accessible and inclusive for all.”
Music production and performance student Erin Boyce took part in the session. She said: “I’m registered as blind myself and have always wanted to give goalball a go. I’ve enjoyed taking part and also meeting like-minded people who are keen to promote disability sports.”
Disabled Students’ Representative on the UCLan Students’ Council Tom Harris also took part. He said: “I’m keen to work with Rainbow in promoting goalball to the student community as it’s something that anyone can try and allows players without visual impairment to understand other people’s experiences and perspectives. Sport brings people together and can be a platform for change.”
"... it’s something that anyone can try and allows players without visual impairment to understand other people’s experiences and perspectives"
— Disabled Students’ Representative on the UCLan Students’ Council Tom Harris
Rainbow, who was born with aniridic glaucoma, a rare condition where the iris doesn’t form properly, lost his sight at eight-years-old. He has been an ambassador for disability sports for a long time, even coming into UCLan when he was just 15-years-old to lead blind football sessions with sports students.
He attended St Vincent’s School for Sensory Impairment in Liverpool and it was there that Rainbow excelled at football and goalball. He uses his sporting talent to raise awareness and has twice spoken in Parliament to address disability sport access and raise awareness.
“It’s not just about demanding access to sport, it’s about taking the time to learn what sports people want to play and finding ways to build up participation” Rainbow said.
"Sport is a great vehicle for breaking down stereotypes and encouraging people to feel safe and empowered in an inclusive environment. I’m proud to lead an event as part of UCLan’s Disability History Month."
— Foundation year sport and physical education student Rainbow Mbuangi
“Sport is a great vehicle for breaking down stereotypes and encouraging people to feel safe and empowered in an inclusive environment. I’m proud to lead an event as part of UCLan’s Disability History Month. I really hope the people who came along today have left thinking they’d like to try goalball again.”
He added: “My long-term plan is to set up a goalball team at UCLan that will play competitively in a league. This could be the template for more disability sports to be introduced at UCLan and I’d love to get the wider community involved too.”
UK Disability History Month runs from the 16 November – 16 December and UCLan has organised a range of events designed to raise awareness for people with disabilities. The theme this year is Disability, Health and Wellbeing.
