Until the political change in 1989, the situation for sports had been very favorable because financial subsidies had been plentiful and there were no major problems to develop sports among people with disabilities. However, at that time things had been quite stereotypical because the unions for people with disabilities had been the organizations that received the State subsidy, and they distributed it to places and activities. Activities for people with visual impairment had been initiated by the Bulgarian Blind Union (BBU). However, with the coming of the so-called democracy the unions began to lose their formal manner and importance as the leader for people with disabilities. Many non-governmental organizations began, but on a much smaller scale, of course. However, they specialized in different activities. Such are the sport clubs that have been established by young and not so young people that were willing to practice sports. In the 90’s, when the economic stagnation was quite advanced, BBU abdicated sports activities for people with visual impairment. That is the main reason why sports among visually impaired people disappeared.

The fire of sports has continued to flicker in both schools for children with visual impairment in Sofia and Varna. However, after the students have graduated from the schools there are no places to continue their sport activities. The situation has turned out to be harmful for the only collective sport for visually impaired people that has been practiced in Bulgaria and that had been exclusively well developed until the end of the 80’s and the beginning of the 90’s of XX century. That sport has been discussed in caf?s and at parties but nobody has taken the responsibility for its renaissance and further development. This is an increasingly difficult task which requires good mathematicians. However, the created situation in Bulgaria has been in all aspects absurd. Many people had accepted mockingly the wish of the visually impaired people to practice sports in a moment when, especially in the middle of the 90’s, it was difficult to ensure one’s own living. However, the conditions slowly, very slowly have begun to change. Bulgaria became a candidate for a member of the European Union. In the European Union there are rules which all members need to follow. Bulgaria needed to come a long way towards full membership in the EU. That full membership, fortunately for the people in unequal status, has assisted their integration into society. Of course, the integration process is long but Bulgaria needed to demonstrate the will to lead it to a successful end. Otherwise Bulgaria will have no chance to join the EU which main principle is the principle of equality.

So, especially since the beginning of the new century in Bulgaria, things have begun to happen that in the past were seen as utopia. People with disabilities have begun to be employed in companies and organizations where they have been earning their income on their own. Conversations about sports have begun among the people with disabilities. Sport Clubs have begun to be established with goals of practicing one or another type of sport. The time has come to restore goalball. The principal Sport Club for People with Disabilities Vitosha has saddled itself exclusively with that difficult task. The young people that are members in that organization have had athletic qualities necessary for the renaissance of the sport, as well as a will for accomplishing the cause. This was not just a desire/wish, but also a cause because goalball is a collective and not an individual sport, i.e. it requires more means, more time, and more human resources. That they were not experienced as activists in the non-governmental sector was in their favor because if they knew how many and what kind of barriers were waiting for them, maybe they would never have found the courage necessary to begin the cause for goalball. After the beginning of the renovation of Bulgarian goalball the organization also had to think of other sports which could be distributed among the sightless in Bulgaria. One of the sports which requires minimal conditions to practice is chess. Light sports have also been in demand among visually impaired people in the past.

Later, when the Sport Club became an affiliated member of the Department of Sport at the University of Sofia St. Kliment Ohridski, the responsibility became even greater but the organization already had some experience and it could manage without a challenge. Of course, that was a great honor for the Student Sport Club because the University of Sofia is the first and the most elite higher school in Bulgaria. Not only has the renaissance of the only collective sport for visually impaired that has been practiced in Bulgaria been reached, but it has developed and even blossomed. However, until those moments were reached, it was necessary to overcome not only one barrier but a mountain of problems. Vitosha’s work style has been very different from the style of the majority of non-governmental organizations in Bulgaria. Vitosha was not an organization which simply existed without a path, but it was an organization that had a clearly defined mission. The mission at certain moments was impossible but the Club has found strength to stand up and to continue forward. The non-governmental sector is quite inconstant because there is no regular budgeting, work is carried out mainly under projects that soon or later finish. However goalball has been and still is a cause and it was not possible to wait for projects in order to restore it and develop it. It has permanent needs because otherwise it must continually return to the starting position (i.e.: again to be in lethargy). That moment fortunately in one way or another has been prevented. But until when? That is the question. Vitosha annually relies on the State, and annually the State does not give its support for the interesting and dynamic sport. However, after Bulgaria became a full EU member on January 1, 2007 all are optimistic that a mechanism for sustainability, for that and other sports, will be created.