Understand Functional Vision and Sensory Needs

Before determining adaptations or selecting specialized equipment, gather a clear understanding of the student’s functional vision, motor skills, and sensory preferences.
  • Collaborate with the Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI) and Orientation & Mobility (O&M) specialist to determine the student’s usable vision, preferred sensory channels, and possible risk factors (e.g., retinal precautions, depth-perception challenges).
  • Use this information to adapt activities, modify environments, and provide materials that align with the student’s unique strengths and needs.

Create Uncluttered, Predictable Instructional Areas

Clear, well-organized spaces promote independence, safety, and confidence.
  • Keep playing fields, gym floors, and activity areas uncluttered with predictable traffic patterns.
  • Mark boundaries with tactile markers, contrasting floor tape, or auditory cues to support spatial orientation.
  • Establish consistent locations for equipment so students can anticipate where items will be found.

Plan and Deliberately Teach Recreation Skills

​Students with visual impairments often require explicit instruction, not incidental exposure.
  • Break skills into small, manageable steps and provide tactile, verbal, or hand-under-hand guidance.
  • Focus on lifelong recreation skills—such as walking/jogging, bowling, swimming, dance, yoga, goalball, and tandem biking—to promote independence across home, school, and community settings.
  • Provide practice opportunities with adapted or auditory equipment such as beeping balls, textured markers, or tethered objects.

Support Inclusion in Group and Team Activities

​Active participation helps build teamwork skills, communication, and friendships.
  • Offer structured choices at recess or during free-choice activities, clearly describing options when movement or visuals are not easily observed.
  • Encourage students to buddy-up with sighted peers during games or team sports to support both inclusion and social learning.
  • Modify rules when necessary to ensure fairness (e.g., using auditory cues, reducing field size, or allowing verbal prompts).

Provide Support During Free Play and Outdoor Activities

​Free play can be overwhelming without structure or landmarks.
  • Ensure staff is available during playground time to provide verbal orientation, safety monitoring, and gentle encouragement.
  • Introduce playground equipment through tactile exploration, modeling how to climb, slide, swing, or navigate safely.
  • Promote exploration so students can gain confidence trying new activities at their own pace.

Recognize the Need for Physical Experience

​Motor imitation is a highly visual skill; students with visual impairments need direct experience, not demonstration alone.
  • Replace “watch me” with hands-on exploration and tactile modeling.
  • Use hand-under-hand or gentle hand-over-hand techniques to teach movement patterns safely and respectfully.
  • Provide guided practice to help students internalize movements, build muscle memory, and understand body positioning.

Integrate Multisensory Supports

P.E. and recreation activities become more accessible through multisensory design.
  • Use auditory cues (beeping balls, verbal directions, clapping markers).
  • Provide tactile markers for boundaries, bases, or starting lines.
  • Offer high-contrast equipment (bright cones, bold tape strips).
  • Allow alternative gripping tools or adaptive handles for students with motor challenges.

Collaborate Across Disciplines

Consistent communication improves safety and instructional quality.
  • Work closely with the TVI, O&M instructor, P.E. teacher, nurse, and families to ensure adaptations align with medical needs and educational goals.
  • Review and update accommodations regularly, especially as skills strengthen or activities become more advanced.

Promote Social Skills, Confidence, and Self-Advocacy

Recreation naturally supports ECC areas such as social interaction, self-determination, and recreation/leisure.
  • Guide students to communicate needs (e.g., “Please tap the ball,” “Can you describe where the goal is?”).
  • Reinforce self-advocacy during team play and rule changes.
  • Celebrate successes to build confidence and positive attitudes toward physical activity.
By implementing these strategies and creating a supportive, well-structured environment, educators can ensure that students who are blind or visually impaired participate fully and safely in physical education and recreation programs. Meaningful inclusion fosters physical health, strengthens social connections, and empowers students to develop recreation skills they can carry into adulthood.

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Full Article List

Guide: Start Here
Tools (VI Basics)
Plan: Referrals & Eligibility
Referral & Eligibility​ ​Medical Vision Information 
FVLMALow Vision Evaluations
Other Evaluations
Plan: IEP Planning
Plan: Collaboration & Accessibility
​Collaboration Accessible Materials ​Classroom Access Instructional Access Technology Access ​Additional Supports Service Delivery Models  ​
Teach: Compensatory Skills
Compensatory Skills
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​​​Tactile Graphics ​Print Concepts ​​Abacus  ​​Organization Skills​ ​​Study Skills ​​Time Management
Teach: Sensory Efficiency Skills
​Auditory & Listening Skills ​​Visual Efficiency Skills ​​Optical Device Use ​Tactile Readiness
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AT Overview ​AT Use & Maintenance Braille AT ​iOS Instruction Audio Access​ ​Video Magnifiers ​​​Basic Computer Use Computer Access ​Productivity
Teach: Social Skills
Social Skill Basics​
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Teach: Independent Living Skills
Personal Care ​Hygiene & Grooming ​Personal Health Mealtime Skills ​​​ Food Preparation
Household Skills Clothing Management ​Money & Budget Shopping & Consumerism Phone Use ​Safety & Emergency Preparedness ​​Services & Community Resources
Teach: Orientation & Mobility
Teach: Recreation & Leisure
Teach: Career & Vocational
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Evelyn Jane Stories 
Learn: Teaching Strategies & Planning
Learn: ​ECC Units
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Learn: Complete Set Bonus ​