Heritage and Culture Warwickshire (HCW), British Blind Sport, and the National Paralympic Heritage Trust are launching a new Autumn exhibition.
Marking the 50th anniversary of British Blind Sport, part of the ground floor at Market Hall Museum will celebrate the charity’s impact and share stories of local blind and partially sighted athletes.
The exhibition features a range of local sportspeople, including a torchbearer from the London 2012 Paralympics, one of the first visually impaired Nordic skiers representing ParalympicsGB and the first blind woman to swim the English Channel , all of whom have been involved with British Blind Sport during their sporting journeys. It highlights the ongoing work of the charity and includes sensory installations that bring the stories and objects to life, film extracts, and audio descriptions via QR codes. It will run from Friday 5th September 2025 until Saturday 14th March 2026.
British Blind Sport CEO, Alaina MacGregor said:
“We’re incredibly proud to launch our ‘British Blind Sport at 50’ exhibition at Market Hall Museum, Warwick, in partnership with the National Paralympic Heritage Trust. This landmark moment is more than a celebration of our history — it’s a powerful tribute to the resilience and achievements of blind and partially sighted athletes across the UK. As we reflect on five decades of progress, this exhibition invites everyone to be part of our journey and to be inspired by the stories that continue to shape our future.”
National Paralympic Heritage Trust CEO, Vicky Hope-Walker said:
“Working with British Blind Sport to record and share their heritage has been a privilege, and it has enabled us to collaborate with local blind and partially sighted people to improve access provision across all areas of our work.”
Audio descriptions of the exhibition objects have been co-created with a group of blind and partially sighted volunteers from Warwickshire Vision Support.
To mark the start of the exhibition, an event celebrating British Blind Sport will take place at Market Hall Museum on Saturday 13th September. Meet the British Blind Sport team, try out some sports and have the rare opportunity to handle Paralympics objects, including torches, medals and mascots, as well as blind and partially sighted sports equipment. Entrance to the event is free, just drop in between 10am - 1pm.
The exhibition has been created with support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Esmée Fairburn Collections Fund delivered by the Museums Association.
Councillor Darren Cheshire, Warwickshire County Council Portfolio Holder for Environment, Climate and Culture said:
“We should all be immensely proud of these special sportsmen and sportswomen and their achievements. We are grateful to our partners who have co-created the exhibition and provided a really meaningful experience for visitors and a chance for us to celebrate the remarkable journey blind and partially sighted athletes have taken.”
Market Hall Museum, Warwick is open Tuesday – Saturday 10am – 5pm, FREE entry.
Market Hall Museum is part of Heritage and Culture Warwickshire, Warwickshire County Council’s unique group of Community Services responsible for the county’s museum collections, archives, local studies, arts provision and heritage education services.
Mike Brace at the Innsbruck 1984 Paralympic Games.
Image credit: Mike Brace
Melanie Barratt during her Channel swim.
Image credit: Melanie Barratt