Physical Education and
Recreation for Students who are
Blind/Visually Impaired
Sheila Amato, Ed.D.
Teacher of Students who are Blind/Visually Impaired
East Meadow School District
brltrans@verizon.net
Health and Physical Education teacher
Long Island Ladies Soccer League goalkeeper
Geocacher
The quest… and the importance of
having a professional network
Hi, all - I have been asked to give a onehour presentation to a group of future
physical education teachers (some of
them may become adapted physical
education teachers) about working with
our population of students in grades K-12.
I'd appreciate any resources... online..
print... or experiential. What should I
include? I want it to be fun and handson/movement oriented, while still giving
them the knowledge. Your thoughts,
activities and resources are appreciated in
advance.
Our “Best Practice” as teachers
(also called “Promising Practice”)
is based on:
Having a Question
Research
Asking More Questions
Collecting and Interpreting Data
Drawing Conclusions
Implementing Recommendations
Re-evaluation
John Dewey
A constructivist philosopher and educator
Developed experiential learning theory
Everything occurs within a social environment.
Knowledge is socially constructed and based on
experiences. This knowledge should be organized
in real-life experiences that provide a context for
the information.
The teacher's role is to organize this content and
to facilitate the actual experiences.
That’s YOU!
The physical education teacher
(That’s you!) is one of the most
important influences on socialization
within a physical education class
Suomi, J., Collier, D., & Brown, L. (2003). Factors affecting social
experiences of students in elementary physical education classes.
Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 22 , 186–202.
The psychological well-being and social
development of a student can be
enhanced through opportunities to
participate in a variety of age-appropriate
physical activities
Houston-Wilson, C., & Lieberman, L. J. (1999). The
Individualized Education Program in physical education: A
guide for regular physical educators. Journal of Physical
Education Recreation and Dance , 70 (3), 60–64.
Physical activity improves the healthrelated quality of life by enhancing
psychological well-being, which, in turn,
contributes to human growth and social
development. Social development is
considered to be an essential
characteristic of self-determined behavior.
(American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation
and Dance [AAHPERD], 1999; Graham, Holt-Hale, & Parker,
1998).
What you can do…
An effective way to teach problem solving,
socialization, cooperative skills, and team
skills is through effective physical
education programming
American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation
and Dance. (1999). Physical best activity guide, elementary
level . Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.
YOU can truly make a difference
in the life of a child with your…
Knowledge
Skills
Attitude
Creativity
High expectations
It’s time to move!
Put your arms out in front of you.
Hold the position… while holding it,
Look around… what do you see?
Use imagery and help to focus your “minds eye” on
what each arm is doing.
Saying “Put your arms out in front of you”
creates a different image than saying…
“Imagine there is a brick wall in front of younow put your arms out against that brick wall
and push on it to keep yourself standing up!”
Being able to talk about what that would look
like… your head drops between your arms, your
feet get planted in place- about shoulder width
apart… creates that image for students who are
blind of what it should look like and moreover,
what it should feel like.
The main function of the eye is to work with the brain to
provide us with vision. The eye and brain translate light
waves into a sensation we call vision.
The eye
The brain
What is the difference between
sight and vision???
Sight is the ability to see clearly at any
distance. Sight depends on the anatomical
structures of the eye.
Vision is the ability to take this clear
image and bring it into the eye in a
smooth and accurate manner, then
transmit the image through the optic
nerve to the back of the brain where it is
interpreted and made sense of by
combining it with past learning
experiences.
A sensory/visual impairment …
Affects your perception of your body in
space (visual/spatial awareness)
May affect your balance/equilibrium
Affects your estimation of distance
Affects eye-hand-body coordination
Affects scanning and tracking (the ability
to follow a moving object)
How many sports involve one or more of
these factors?
Trivia…
Did you know
that your eye
is the only part
of your brain
that is visible
from the
outside?
Real students [who are blind] doing
“real” physical education activities
It’s time to …. Move!
Pretend you’re walking…
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Through tall underbrush
Through a dark, dangerous alley
Across a wide street on a rainy, windy night
Through a forest of man-eating plants!
Down a road of sticky asphalt and tar
Across a log over a creek full of crocodiles
Across a street of broken glass
Through a snowstorm
Through a bowl of chewed-up bubblegum.
How does a child who is blind gain these real-life
(or creatively designed) experiences?
Comments from the Field
There are three main messages that
I would share with mainstream PE
teachers: One is that the game is
not sacred, the kids are, so adapt it
so that it is a meaningful and
enjoyable experience for all. That
said, if the game must be adapted to
the point that it is neither, then don't
bother with it.
Comments from the Field
The sighted students should not miss out on games like
basketball simply because their blind classmate cannot
participate equally in a game.
In that instance, the blind student should be allowed to
learn and develop basketball skills- such as free throws to a
hoop with a beeper on it for sonar location, as well as be
taught the rules so that he/ she has the as much
knowledge of the game as their sighted peers. Including
the student in ways such as making him/her the designated
free throw shooter for a team, or adapting the rules for
inclusion (such as they may be chest-passed the ball with a
verbal comment, then may take a free throw at the
beepered hoop for double points) could be helpful.
But the success of that sort of adaptation depends on the
class and the student. If it does not work, then having the
student do an alternate activity during that time, such as
learning or practicing weight-lifting, swimming, goalball,
Swish, yoga or any number of suitable activities would be
perfectly acceptable
Comments from the Field
And lastly, sport and recreation are
vital parts of life and participation in
these activities afford students with
low vision or blindness a chance for
freedom, independence, pride and
social opportunities that they need.
My colleague had a lot to say…
I was the only VI kid in my school. If you combine my
trying to 'keep up' with the sighted kids with my oblivious
gym teacher who thought she was doing me a favor by
pushing me to do things, it was a disaster. How do you
push a VI kid to play tennis? Every time you miss the ball
and everyone starts laughing at you, you just want to run
away. My teacher was either thoughtless or clueless.
Even worse is the modern tendency to include a blind child
in ball games by assigning them a buddy who runs with
them and tells them what to do. This isn't participation, it
is being a puppet. You can't enjoy a sport playing like that
and it is even more embarrassing then what we went
through trying to pretend we could see.
It just seems so obvious to find a sport the blind child CAN
do then to try to have them do what everyone else is doing
just to fit in.
My colleague is still talking…
Recess in elementary school, and PE in junior high and high
school are among my most excruciatingly unhappy memories
when I think about my experiences as one of two visually
impaired students in the public school system in my very rural
Maryland county. Imagine subjecting a child who could not see to
daily games of dodge ball during 4th, 5th
and 6th grades! No wonder I misbehaved to get out of having to
endure recess! I would have done anything to avoid that ball
hitting me -- hard -- in the head over and over again during
afternoon recess!
When I was in high school, I was pretty seriously injured when I
was
expected to run the hurdles. Of course I couldn't jump over the
hurdle when I didn't even know it was there until I was about 10
inches away! Softball, volleyball (how I hated that!), basketball (I
could make a basket but could not function in a fast-moving
game), even field hockey -- all of these were disastrous
experiences for me! And embarrassing. And demoralizing.
PE has to be tailored to the capabilities, skill levels, and needs of
each child with a visual impairment. It is cruel to subject a child
who cannot see to activities and games that he or she cannot
actually participate in effectively.
Final words from my colleague …
MOST PE activities are centered around ball games, field
hockey, tennis, volleyball, softball, etc. Even when
gymnastics are introduced it included running at a vaulting
horse.
I was excused from regular PE class because I was
'incompetent at sports.' On one hand I was relieved
because I didn't have to go home crying because no one
wanted me on their team, but I loved doing things - and I
hated the label of 'incompetent.'
Then my life changed and I COULD do judo, hiking,
swimming, cross country skiing, tandem bike riding, and on
and on.
Yes, VI kids CAN do sports but it is not accommodating
their disability to expect them to play ball games with a
buddy to tell them where to go and when to swing
etc. This is not participation, it is “politically correct
accommodation.” A VI child is truly participating when they
can fully participate without someone holding their hand.
It’s time to …. Move!
While wearing simulators:
– Throw and catch a fleece ball with a
partner
– Play “volleyball” with a beach ball
– Kick (gently… we’re indoors!) a soccer
ball that has bells inside of it.
– Read a print page from this handout
– Find your friend across the room… (are
you sure it’s your friend?)
Still more from the field
Yes, it’s all about setting proper expectations for the VI
student, and even those students with multiple
impairments. They have had ways of surprising us.
I’m also convinced that a physically fit child can also be
motivated to channel his energies towards other goals such
as exceptional grades in school and working towards a
career.
In my observations and experiences in some public schools,
physical education is probably one of the most dreaded
subjects by teachers, because of the VI child being hurt and
the litigation that might result. More than three-quarters of
our VI kids have multiple disabilities, and they attend their
local schools, with the expectation they will participate in
age-appropriate activities.
… about “the real world…”
Then there is the issue of limitations on physical
activities that are often written in the IEP of
what the blind/VI child should or shouldn't do,
based on medical info.
I have always felt that public school teachers may
have good intentions, but the medical conditions
of most of our VI kids, plus unsuitable school
infrastructures, and behaviors of some
parents, impose major limitations on their
creativity and responsiveness, and these
teachers (and their administrators) often are
unable to articulate their concerns for fear of
being seen as anti-disability.
Geocaching
www.geocaching.com
“Using multi-million dollar military
satellites to find Tupperware hidden
in the woods.”
Need a GPSr (Global Positioning
System receiver) and access to the
above website…
And a spirit of adventure!
Sports Video Clips featuring
athletes who are blind
Actionnaires Sports Club
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaGegItuQRM
Australian Goalball World Championships
http://www.goalball.com.au/
Bay Area Goalball
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=1232846902873989249
Beep Baseball
http://espn.go.com/swf/eticket/beep/beep.html
Blind Powerlifting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRLew6yAxzg
Blind Soccer (indoor)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUzxCLdPuB0
Blind Soccer Match - China (outdoor)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gPZQEohMssI
Cross Country Skiing
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hNLxFF_x28I
Skiing, Wrestling, Goalball Running, and Judo,
http://www.ibsa.es/eng/galeria/main.htm
USABA
http://www.usaba.org/Pages/movie/usaba_video.html
“People” Resources
Don’t miss Dr. Lauren Lieberman's excellent work related to
P.E. She's on faculty at SUNY Brockport, and you can read
more about her and her work here:
http://www.brockport.edu/pes/faculty/lieberman.html
Kathy Zawald - kzwald@aol.com. She just finished her PhD
at the University of Arizona in the area of physical
education for students with visual impairments.
Larry L. Lewis, Jr.
President and Founder
Flying-Blind, LLC
Office Phone: +1 (216) 381-8107
E-Mail: Larry.Lewis@Flying-Blind.com
Web: http://www.Flying-Blind.com
Skype Name: Larry.L.Lewis
It’s time to …. Move!
Be a Household Appliance
– Making appropriate sound effects, 5 to 7
students together pantomime a single, large,
household appliance.
Vacuum cleaner
Blender
Washing machine
Toaster
Alarm clock
Electric toothbrush
Can opener
Websites of Interest
Judo for Blind Athletes http://www.judoinfo.com/usaba.htm
The United States Association of Blind Athletes (USABA)
has an area on its website with information on sport
adaptations. http://www.usaba.org/home.html
Camp Abilities does a nice job of preparing adaptive phys
ed students to work with individuals with visual
impairments. http://www.campabilities.org
Some thoughts about Physical education and blind kids
http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/fr/fr14/Issue1/
f140111.html
Physical Education and Recreation
http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/fr/fr26/Issue2/
fr07sum07.htm
More websites of interest
Me and My PE Teacher
http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/fr/fr26/Is
sue2/fr07sum06.htm
Fit for Life
http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/fr/fr26/Is
sue2/fr07sum05.htm
Listing of “blind sports”:
www.blind.msstate.edu/irr/sport.html
International Blind Sports Association (www.ibsa.es)
Overcoming the Barriers to Including Students with
Visual Impairments because it addresses low
expectations, lack of opportunity and more - and
gives possible solutions.
http://sun1.aph.org/pe/art_l_hw.html
Adapted Physical Education National Standards
www.cortland.edu/apens/15standards.htm
The Internet has become
our new classroom
American Alliance for Health, Physical Education,
Recreation, and Dance www.aahperd.org
APE Aerobics
www.turnstep.com/Adaptive/index.html
California State Council on Adapted Physical
Education (SCAPE) sc-ape.org/index.htm
National Center on Physical Activity and Disability
(NCPAD) www.ncpad.org
National Consortium of Physical Education and
Recreation for Individuals with Disabilities
(NCPERID)
www.uwlax.edu/sah/ncperid/
PE Central
www.pecentral.org/adapted/adaptedmenu.html
Project Inspire
venus.twu.edu/inspire/
Research/Bibliography
Gronmo, J., & Augestad, B. (2001). Blind youth, self-concept and
physical activity. Melhus, Norway: National Resource Centre of the
Visually Impaired.
Korhonen, K. (2000). Physical activity of visually impaired high
school students. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Arla Institute,
Helsinki, Finland.
Lieberman, L. J., Houston-Wilson, C., & Kozub, F. (2002).
Perceived barriers to including students with visual impairments in
general physical education. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly,
19, 365–378.
Lieberman, L. J., & McHugh, E. (2001). Health-related fitness of
children who are visually impaired. Journal of Visual Impairment &
Blindness, 95, 272–286.
Lieberman, L., & Stuart, M. (2002) Self-determined recreational
and leisure choices of individuals with deaf-blindness . Journal of
Visual Impairment & Blindness, 96, 724–735.
Ponchillia, P. E., Strause, B., & Ponchillia, S. V. (2002). Athletes
with visual impairments: Attributes and sports participation.
Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 96, 267–272.
Winnick, J. (1985). The performance of visually impaired
youngsters in physical education activities: Implications for
mainstreaming. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 2 , 292–299.
Let’s end with some introspective thoughts
Greetings, while I don’t have any sort of education-based material
for you, I can speak from the voice of experience. Being totally
blind, and having been always fairly physically active, I can tell
you that the underlying message that you can impart to these
phys-ed teachers is: “physical fitness is one of the greatest gifts
you can give to your vision impaired students.” I was very
fortunate to have had family and teachers who took the time to
make sure that I was physically active and included in general
phys-ed classes as much as possible. Engaging the student’s
hands and body limbs at a young age is key when getting them
interested in physical activity and the environment around them.
Also, for the adaptive phys-ed teacher, have them spend a class
explaining and having the child participate in aspects of games
like football or baseball. I had a wonderful teacher in elementary
school who spent a whole class period outside with me and a
football that beeped explaining to me all the aspects of the game
of football and teaching me how to throw a football. He did the
same with a baseball and bat as well. He did so because he knew
how badly I wanted to experience playing these games, and I’ll
always be eternally grateful for him doing so.
From here to competition…
Also, strength training, wrestling, and a variety of different
Martial Arts are wonderful activities for laying a healthy
fitness-based foundation for these students; be careful with
the strength training with younger students who are still
growing. Feel free to contact me off list to further discuss,
or you can check out the personal section of my company
website for more of my thoughts regarding physical fitness
and blindness.
And, I echo your sentiments about blind students
surpassing their sighted peers. I’ll never forget one
wrestling match that I had in high school where I pinned
my opponent within 45 seconds; it’s pretty funny when a
16 year old goes back to his teammate in tears because he
lost to a blind guy—smiles! And what a confidence builder
that was for me—it set the tone for the rest of the wrestling
season, and was one of the events that laid the foundation
for me to know in my heart that I can compete with my
sighted peers on any level and succeed.