In a Making Friends And Getting The Gear post, I indicated, “as with many challenges, making the right connections and using the correct technology can turn something you did not think was possible into yet another accomplishment”.

Today, I decided to try out a new gun range in the spirit of making a new friend. I hoped to demonstrate that blind people are capable of accomplishing things that society might believe to be impossible to do without sight. Spoiler alert, the Saddle River Range is not on my friends list.

Maybe if the General Manager had read about my Successful Deer Hunt or I spent more time trying to educate and persuade the General Manager about the capabilities of blind people, the exchange might have ended differently. You can listen to the denial of range access or read the below transcript.

[Mike Royal]

All right, so your name is Steve

[Steve King]

My name is Steve. Yes sir.

[Mike Royal]

My name is Mike Royal.

What is your last name Steve?

[Steve King]

Steve King

[Mike Royal

King…K-I-N-G

all right I just wanted to confirm that you are the General Manager   

[Steve King]

I am.

[Mike Royal]

at the Saddle River Gun Club.

[Steve King]

Yes sir.

[Mike Royal]

And, you are refusing me to shoot because I am blind.

[Steve King]

Yes sir. I can’t let you on the range because I can’t have accidental discharge into anything outside of our berm.

[Mike Royal

and so you’re refusing me because I’m blind.

[Steve King]

Yes sir, I am.