RECREATION & LEISUREBy: Carmen Willings
teachingvisuallyimpaired.com Updated March 11, 2016 Recreation and leisure skills may include traditional as well as adapted physical education activities. However, as with social interaction skills visually impaired students need help identifying the array of choices available to them in this area and must be taught how to perform leisure skills that most students learn through observation.  Student Interest Survey
Each person will have their own interests and preferences, but it is important to help a student discover a lifelong leisure activity. Examples of activities include arts/crafts, reading, culture, fitness, outdoor & community activities. Each student should be encouraged to participate in recreational activities with their peers. The student should be encouraged to: choose an object to play with or an activity when presented with options; play simple card, board and table games; identify various community activities and facilities; participate in clubs/activities; identify and choose appropriate leisure activities and hobbies; play age-appropriate games enjoyed by peers; and cooperate in team activities.
PlayPlay is the foundation for learning about the world. Through play, children learn to make comparisons between materials and develop preferences. Children learn many skills through play and also begin to develop social skills. Play is an important part of the Early Childhood curriculum, but children may need to continue to develop their play skills even as they elementary school. Additionally, students may need to learn how to play.
PlaygroundThe playground should be adapted for the student with visual impairments. It is important for a student to be oriented to a playground when it is quiet and when other students are not on the playground. In addition to learning where the equipment is located, students should have the opportunity to tactually explore the equipment to learn how it moves. Student should also be instructed to visually scan the playground and/or use auditory cues prior to moving from one area to another.
LeisureAll children will naturally gravitate toward a preferred activity. O course, students should be permitted to develop in their area of interest, but it is important to expose children to a wide variety of leisure activities to ensure the students are aware of a variety of leisure activities available. Students who are blind or visually impaired do not have the same opportunity to visually observe a variety of activities available. Factors such as cost and material adaptations will play a factor in what activities are accessible. Also, students may need to learn specific skills needed to participate in the activity.
BowlingStudents can learn basic bowling skills by playing with home-made or purchased bowling sets that can be used at home and school. A sound source can be placed behind the pins in order to provide an auditory target for the students. Many bowling alleys will provide bumpers, or portable bowling rails, upon request.
Cultural ActivitiesTake advantage of programs at local museums and galleries. Prior to planning a field trip or visit, call the museum to discuss the possibility of making the experience accessible or if they can arrange for hands-on experience. They may offer audio recordings or have a special tour. Some museums provide programs in braille. Some theaters offer headsets that provide audio descriptions.
Word, Card & Board GamesPlaying games is a lifelong leisure time activity that fosters social interactions. In order to be accessible to a student with a visual impairment, they may need to be adapted. Although someone knowledgeable in braille, can adapt card and board games, there are commercially available games that have been adapted with braille as well as large print. Large print cards can be purchased or made for students with low vision. Some games are available in an accessible format.
BicyclingThe foundation for bicycling can begin when a child is young. Providing opportunities for students to play on riding toys is a good introduction. Older students can build endurance and experience physical activity by using a stationary bike. Students with low vision may be able to learn to ride a bike, but depending on their level of available vision, may need to ride along side a sighted adult or peer who can warn the student of any dangers. Students who are blind may be able to experience biking using a tandem bicycle.
Physical Games & SportsSimple games can be adapted easily, but it may be more challenging to adapt team sports. Although games can be adapted, students will need to acquire the motor skills necessary to fully participate in the games. Skills needed to play in games may need to be taught in isolation. It is important to be aware of the student's are more at risk for retinal detachment. Also, some eye conditions can be aggravated by vigorous physical activity. The student should either refrain from the activity or it should be modified.
Embedded Learning Opportunities There are many opportunities throughout the day to embed skills. Gross motor play (such as at recess and gym time) is a great opportunity to incorporate concepts, language, listening and obviously motor skills. Concepts such as over/under, on top of/underneath, wide/narrow, fast/slow are easily incorporated. Provide experiences that focus on the auditory discrimination of people’s voices and sounds related to activities. Encourage listening and the use of auditory clues to locate people or places. Play listening games such as Simon Says. Listen to and follow directions when participating in a game (begin with simple one-step directions and progress to more difficult two step directions).
Practice different ways to cross the gym/playground: walking, tiptoe walking, galloping, skipping, hopping, running with a partner, jumping. Make it a game of walking up and down stairs in a “Teacher May I” game. Practice jumping up and down with jump rope or Chinese jump rope games. Practice keeping balance while walking along curbs or balance beam. Play games that incorporate throwing and catching balls. Encourage student to slide, climb on play structures, crawl through tunnels, and play on swings. Encourage students to create their own obstacle courses and challenge their friends Students are able to use recess and gym time to gain an understanding of their bodies in space; improve their physical skills; develop language and concept development; and practice group cooperation. Many of the team games and athletics are excellent and appropriate for students with visual impairments. In addition, however, these students need to develop activities in recreation that they can enjoy throughout their adult lives. Most often sighted persons select their recreation activity repertoire by visually observing activities and choosing those in which they wish to participate. Websites for gamers who are blind...AudioGames is a site dedicated to audio games and games accessible to persons who are blind.
Audio Game Hub is a set of 11 experimental arcade videogames that use audio as their primary interface, making them accessible for both sighted and non-sighted users. Audyssey offers a forum for accessible game developers and players with the primary purpose to provide_ a place where anyone can learn about games which are specifically designed for or are used by people who are blind. GamesForTheBlind offers games that are accessible and designed specifically for visually impaired and blind computer users. PCSGames provides a list of audio games and blind accessible computer games and game sites with descriptions and links. Zone BBS is considered by some to be the most populated forum for gamers, and others, who are blind. Recreation & Leisure Resources
There are a number of great books, web resources and organizations that provide information and resources specific to persons who are blind or visually impaired. If you are aware of additional resources that you feel should be listed here, please let me know so I can add them.
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TVI's Guide to Teaching the ECC: An Activities Based Curriculum for Teaching Students who are Blind or Visually Impaired
$50.00
Written specifically for fellow itinerant Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI’s), this book consists of over 400 activities and topic areas of discussion for instructing students in the Expanded Core Curriculum. The activities are age-neutral and multi-sensory and therefore can meet the needs of the broad range of students served on an itinerant caseload serving. The activities can be individualized to the students various learning modalities and scaffold in order to challenge students but ensure success. Select those activities that align with the student’s learning objects based on the student’s unique visual needs and academic and developmental level. The core activities listed in the Activity section can be adapted to each thematic unit. These include:
In addition to the core activity areas, each of the 32 Thematic Units incorporates additional unique ECC concepts and skills providing you with a years’ worth of activities. These units are cyclical and can be used repeatedly to help students build on prior knowledge and develop a deeper understanding of concepts. Each unit includes suggestions for activity adaptation associated with the unit. These include lists of objects, possible community based experiences, environmental print, poems, children & young reader books, children's songs, pop culture songs, movies, and websites. Unique Concepts within the Units include:
Although the intended audience of this resource is fellow Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments, special education teachers may find these activities beneficial to the students in their classrooms as the activities are multisensory and include life skills and concepts needed by all students. This resource, however, is not intended to take the place of a Teacher of Students with Visual Impairments (TVI). Readers are advised to consult their own TVI’s regarding instruction in the ECC and the unique visual needs of the student’s served in their programs. Note: This curriculum is a digital pdf download. Once you make your purchase you will be directed to an order confirmation page where you will find the download link. This download will also be included on the receipt sent to the email address you provide. The pdf download can be found directly under the order number. Each download is intended for single instructor use per copyright. Thank you for helping me preserve the content and not distributing copies to third parties. Product details Digital pdf download: 364 pages (11 pt font) Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments Author: Carmen Willings Language: English 
Visual Efficiency & Magnifier Fluency Grab & Go ECC Supplements
$20.00
This workbook is a pdf download that can be printed on demand for use with students. It contains five different types of worksheets for developing visual motor skills and near magnifier fluency skills particularly with the use of a video magnifier. As a supplement to the TVI’s Guide to the ECC, the worksheets correspond to each of the 32 ECC Thematic units. The worksheets, along with a list of environmental print for each thematic unit, are designed to help students refine their visual motor skills while reinforcing ECC concepts presented in the thematic units. Visual Efficiency & Near Magnifier Fluency Worksheet Details: Digital pdf download: 210 pages Publisher: Teaching Students with Visual Impairments Author: Carmen Willings Language: English |
Photo used under Creative Commons from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Los Angeles District
