Dan Mancina is a skateboarder whose jaw-dropping videos get hundreds of thousands of views. Mancina also happens to be blind, and videos of him using his white cane (手杖) as he skateboards have gained admiration from fans around the world.
"I've lost my vision slowly throughout my life,"Mancina said. It wasn't until his mid-20s that his condition—an eye disease started to affect his day-to-day life, stopping him from driving and biking. The Michigan native started skating at seven, and got into it more seriously at 13, saying the sport helps him express himself. He stopped skating for a couple of years. This period, the 35-year-old said, was his "lowest point".
However, mobility training helped him gain confidence. Slowly, he returned to doing what he loved. Mancina started filming short videos of his progress and posting them online and met a new group of people to skate with, gaining enough confidence to return to the streets. "I was just actually trying it, and then realized I was still the same person and that I could still do all the things that I love,"he said.
Now, Mancina wants to create spaces where visually impaired (视力受损的) people can enjoy the sport. "I wanted to build the first skatepark designed for visually impaired people, so I started a foundation called 'Keep Pushing' and have been raising money ever since for a few years now,"he said. The park, set to be built in Michigan, will use adaptive methods, such as increasing the size of obstacles, to make it safe and accessible.
"To change the perception of the visually impaired, I started my social media stuff. Some people think it's crazy for a blind people to skate. It's not that crazy in my head. I just enjoy skating. I encourage people to think that way—don't let other people decide what you can and can't do. You know. It's all up to you,"Mancina added.
