Lawrence Euteneier’s gradual loss of sight never stopped him from enjoying the sport of fishing. He was assessed as legally blind at the age of eight, and required the assistance of a guide dog by the age of 25.

Lawrence earned his Masters in Environmental Studies from York University in 1994, and has applied his knowledge to create accessible environments for people with disabilities. On a personal front, Lawrence has applied his skill to his love of fishing resulting in the world’s first fishing boat that can be independently operated by a person without sight.

Lawrence’s commitment to throwing open the doors to the out-of-doors for people with sight limitations is his way of sharing his knowledge of the sport of fishing and boating with others who have limited or no sight. Lawrence publishes articles regularly about fishing techniques and related gear of interest to blind fishers. Lawrence also advises those in the fishing and outdoor business on how to make their products and services more accessible, and organizes Canadian blind fishing adventures for people without sight from around the world. Lawrence hopes some day to see blind fishing clubs and derbies throughout North America. After all says Lawrence, “fishing really is an ideal sport for people with limited or no sight since most of what you are doing is focussing on what you are feeling at the other end of your line – you only get to actually see the fish after they are caught”.