Physical Education for Children with Visual Impairment or Blindness

Abstract

There are over 61,000 school-age children with visual impairments in public schools today. Research has shown that they are often behind their peers in physical activity participation and in motor skills. In order for children with visual impairments to become physically active and self-determined adults, they must be provided the same opportunities as their same-age peers with the support necessary to provide full access to the physical education curriculum. Recent research has shown that teaching children with visual impairments is one of the most complicated inclusion challenges facing physical educators today. Children with visual impairments also experience numerous barriers to physical activity in recreation and personal fitness programs outside of the school setting. Since physical educators report numerous challenges in this area, the purpose of this article is to provide some basic strategies for the inclusion of children with visual impairments in general physical education classes so that they can meet the national and state standards for physical education and make progress toward full participation and self-determination in society.