What is Showdown?

Showdown is a fast-moving tabletop game designed to be played without the use of vision. Often described as “the blind community's answer to air hockey or table tennis”, Showdown is a dynamic all-inclusive game.

History of Showdown:

Showdown has been played at international competitive games such as the Paralympic Games, The World Games, and Pan Am Games. Debuting initially in Holland, its popularity has been growing exponentially around the world.

Who Will Benefit? 

Olmsted Center for Sight facilitates programs for blind and visually impaired youth, their families and adults across WNY, and Showdown will be available to all. Housed at Olmsted Center for Sight's downtown campus, Showdown will additionally be used to unify sighted and visually impaired staff through its ability to level the playing field.

- Two Players, blindfolded

-Each Player protects a net with a paddle and attempts to score on the net of their opponent.

-Paddles are used to hit the ball across the table
ball has bee-bees inside that produce sound when moving.

-Table has raised sides and a shield in middle to keep the ball in-play. Raised sides also allow for advanced bank shots.

Check Out a Showdown Match!

Need For Funding:

Very few sports and physical activities have been designed that are fully-accessible for a person with vision impairment. Showdown is a fun straight forward game accessible to most. The tables are rare, expensive and produced by only one company in the United States and one in the Czech Republic.