Sport at school
Your QTVI should advise, train and liaise with school sports staff to ensure sports and PE are made as accessible as possible for a vision impaired pupil in school. Some practical tips and solutions are outlined below.
Some of the tips below come from the excellent Vision Friendly Schools book which is now out of print. Consequently, some of the web addresses and references may now be out of date, but we will do our best to keep the information up to date.
Equipment and Strategies
- Ask your QTVI about audible / larger / bright / tactile sports equipment
- Use bright tape to mark out edges of apparatus
- Use cones to mark the edges of a pitch / area
- Child may need to wear glasses for PE or swimming; prescription goggles can be purchased from Specsavers
- Individual instruction of ball skills is important
- Move closer in for ball throwing and catching exercises
- Use larger, audible, slower bounce balls
- Use bounce passes in Netball
- Use a tennis racquet for rounders instead of a bat
- Personal challenges or skills practice may be more appropriate than a team game
- Provide a guide for running and a strap if appropriate
- Consider safety in team games
Space
- Allow for more space for pupil if appropriate
- To help gain an idea of size, if appropriate, count the number of strides across a room or strokes in a pool
Time
- Take time before activity starts to explore the environment and any identifying features
- Allow for more time to complete activities if appropriate
- Let the child familiarise themselves with the Sports field before Sports Day
- Pupil may need more time at the beginning and end of a PE or swimming lesson for independent changing
People
- Place pupil with a supportive peer group
- Place pupil in a team ahead of children picking team mates
British Blind Sport
The work of the charity enables blind and partially sighted people to have the same opportunities as sighted people to access and enjoy sport and recreational activities in the UK. BBS also provides publications and equipment.
British Blind Sport provides opportunities and advice for the following sports:
- Cycling
- Golf
- Judo
- Tennis
- Archery
- Athletics
- Cricket
- Football
- Target shooting
- Ten pin
- Goalball
RNIB Guide to VI friendly Sports
This document includes simple tips on how to make PE more inclusive