Abstract
Purpose: The aim of this study is to compare certain anthropometric and motor features of visually impaired students who play sports and those who do not play sports in schools for the visually impaired in Turkey. It is thought that the sport has an important place in the rehabilitation of disabled people and also has an effect on their physical characteristics. Material and Methods: In this context, 98 visually impaired students who played sports regularly (72 male, 26 female) and 189 visually impaired students who did not play sports regularly (110 male, 79 female) participated in our study. In the study, participants’ gender, age, height, body weight, body mass index, girth, and motor features such as flamingo balance test, flexibility, standing long jump, sit-up, bent arm hang, 10 x 5m shuttlerun, grip strength, vertical jump, abdominal strength, back strength, hip flexion strength, hip extension strength, leg flexion strength, leg extension strength, arm strength and arm extension strength were measured. During the strength measurements, Lovett’s Manual Muscle Strength Test was utilised. Results: In the study, significant differences were found between visually impaired students who played sports and those who did not play sports in terms of age, height, grip strength, vertical jump, balance test, flexibility, long jump, sit-up, bent arm hang, 10 x 5m shuttle run, abdominal strength, back strength, hip flexion strength, hip extension strength, leg flexion strength, leg extension strength, arm flexion strength and arm extension strength (p<0.05). However, no significant differences were found in terms of body weight, body mass index or girth (p>0.05). Conclusion: Examination of the test results of the study reveals that visually impaired students who played sports had higher performance levels than those of students who did not play sports. It is recommended that visually impaired students, as well as being given physical education lessons, should take part in more mobility games and sporting activities, or that more mobility games and sporting activities should be included in course curricula. 
 
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Highlights
Disability is the limitation of roles expected from a person with respect to age, gender and cultural factors, or the inability to perform these roles, due to a handicap or impediment
Since students who played sports were tall, a significant difference was found between average height of male visually impaired students who played sports and male visually impaired students who did not play sports (p
In male visually impaired students who played sports, average age was determined as X=13.76±1.49 years, average height as X=159.33±13.22 cm, average body weight as X=50.85±18.23 kg and average body mass indices (BMI) values as X=19.56±4.41 kg/m2.In male visually impaired students who did not play sports, average age was determined as X=13.40±1.55 years, average height as X=152.76±11.25 cm, average body weight as X=48.19±17.93 kg and average BMI values as X=20.24±5.45 kg/m2.Following statistical analysis, whilst no significant differences were found in average age, body weight and BMI values of male visually impaired students who played sports and those who did not play sports (p>0.05), a significant difference was found in average height (p
Summary
Disability is the limitation of roles expected from a person with respect to age, gender and cultural factors, or the inability to perform these roles, due to a handicap or impediment. By freeing individuals from their isolated worlds, allows them to enter into dialogue with people, to be influenced by different environments, people, beliefs and ideas and to influence those in turn. In this way, it may be said that sport allows people to form and cement new friendships and to support social cohesion. Encouraging disabled individuals to play sports will accelerate their integration into society and make it possible for them to be included in daily life [2]. The main aim of disabled sports is the integration of the disabled into society by encouraging their development through activities, games and sports. Rehabilitation sports are part of disabled sports and, together with other treatment methods, assist in reaching medical, career and psycho-social targets [3, 4]
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