IMPACTING HEALTH OF STUDENTS WITH VISUAL IMPAIRMENT THROUGH YOGA

Abstract

Visual impairment during childhood hinders children's neurological progress, markedly impacting their physical, psychological, social, and emotional health. Yoga's multifarious approach can help children with visual impairment to cope with their challenges. The research was conducted with an objective to develop a Yoga based Intervention Program for Students with Visual Impairment and to measure its impact on their health. Experimental method of research with one group pretest-posttest design was used by the researcher. 39 visually impaired adolescent students were taken as sample chosen by Purposive Sampling technique. The intervention program consisted of yogic prayer, warm up exercises, asanas, pranayams, meditation etc. The program was conducted for two months, one hour session per day for six days per week. The Cornell Medical Index Health Questionnaire (Visually Handicapped) was used to assess the health of students with visual impairment. The results conveyed that there was a positive impact of Yoga Intervention Program on health of students with visual impairment. The intervention was found successful for both the dimensions of health i.e. physical health and psychological health. Further, yoga intervention was found beneficial for all the sub-dimensions of physical and psychological health.