Motorcyclists take visually impaired passengers on Ride2Share tour

More than 100 motorcyclists gathered on Braila Street in Riga to take people with visual impairments for motorcycle rides as part of the Ride2Share campaign, LSM reported. The event was held for the seventh time to highlight issues important to people with visual impairments and promote a society that leaves no one behind.

Despite the rain, the riders took passengers with visual impairments on their motorcycles. The organisers said the campaign aims to overcome social barriers, share the joy of movement and help create an environment where a person’s opportunities are not determined by their visual impairment.

Ride2Share founder Atis Lamberts said 115 people with visual disabilities had registered for this year’s event.

“In the first year there were 50 motorcyclists because 50 people with visual disabilities had also registered. Over the years there have been 100, 120 and 150,” Lamberts said.

One participant, Noa, took part in the ride for the fourth year. “It’s adrenaline. It’s a thrill to catch the moment. It has been taking place for the seventh year and it’s really great,” Noa said.

Lamberts said participants’ emotional reactions provided motivation to continue the event. He recalled one ride during heavy rain when passengers travelled with their eyes closed and later wrote letters and poems expressing their gratitude.

Kaspars Biezais, chairman of the central board of Latvia’s Society of the Blind, said the event was initially organised to create positive experiences for people with visual impairments and promote their inclusion in society.

This year’s focus is on preventing vision loss in time and ensuring that access to necessary treatment does not depend on a person’s income or place of residence. An ophthalmologist said that timely treatment and continuity of therapy are crucial, and that delays of even several months can cause irreversible vision loss.