Visually impaired spend the day biking through DuPage

When it comes to divvying up responsibilities on his monthly tandem bike rides, Ray Campbell is just fine taking a back seat and letting somebody else do the steering.

"I provide the power and let the sighted guys do their thing," he said Saturday at Atten Park in Wheaton. "We feel that's the best way to go."

Campbell, who's been blind from birth, joined about a dozen cyclists Saturday on a daylong ride through Fermilab in Batavia and back.

The tandem rides, organized by the Northeast DuPage Special Recreation Association and sponsored by several area agencies, give residents with visual impairments a chance to get active and enjoy the unusually cool July weather.

"Biking is one of the most fun things you can do," said John Loesch from the Chicago Area Tandem Society, one of several sighted volunteers who led participants along the nearly 10-mile path.

Georgia Cawley has been participating in the monthly rides for much of their 11-year history. The Glen Ellyn resident, who is legally blind, was a volunteer for the DuPage Center for Independent Living, one of the agencies instrumental in creating the rides.

Cawley said that the presence of the riders alone works to educate the public about the visually impaired community.

"But besides all that, the rides are fun," she said. "I've been biking since I was a little girl. It's great to get on a bike, especially in weather like this."