Keeping active is important for everyone. Learners with VI often have great potential within physical education and sports. In addition to the advice below there are more curriculum strategies to support PE.
Adapting PE sessions appropriately avoids asking learners with VI to ‘sit out’ or complete non-active tasks. It is also important that parents understand the benefits of PE.
Learners with VI who do not take part in physical activity and exercise may risk the following:
- A sedentary school experience resulting in weight gain, poor physical health and poor mental health.
- Reduced upper body strength.
- Reduced cardio endurance.
- Poor flexibility.
- Feelings of exclusion and mental health needs associated with this.
Improving outcomes
The children and young people that we support have described feeling positive about the following approaches to PE at school:
- Teachers describing instructions and actions in good detail, with additional 1:1 input when needed.
- Teachers asking learners with VI what they need in terms of support and being guided by this (e.g. special equipment).
- Teachers ensuring that learners with VI are able to contribute to overall team achievement, through different participatory roles.
- Pre-teaching skills, strategies and actions prior to a PE lesson increases confidence and positive participation.
- Teachers setting fresh physical activity or exercise challenges and goals for learners with VI frequently.
- Teaching of key terminology relating to sports and activities so that learners with VI can converse with their peers.
- Active participation in sports day, after collaboration between school and an advisory teacher for vision impairment
- Extra-curricular sports and clubs available – including competitive sports.
- No matter what their level of vision, learners with VI should be engaging in physical activity throughout the school week – whether it is joining their peers at playtime, playing adapted sports (when safe) or using the school gym with fitness goals.
If you have any queries regarding your learner with VI and sports or PE, please get in touch with your Advisory Teacher for specialist advice and support.