Students with low vision

Students with low functional vision often require different support depending on their vision impairment and how their unique vision impairment affects their ability to track, see contrasting colours and their peers. For the most effective adaptations for each student it is always best to contact the SA School for Vision Impaired and speak to either your student's advisory teacher or the physical education teacher, Andrew Whisson.

It is very easy to allow students with a vision impairment to avoid involvement in the competitive nature of the PE lesson. However, students with a vision impairment are exactly this, students who are unable to see as well as their peers. This does not mean that they are no longer competitive, or interested in sport, and by depriving them of the opportunity to be involved with their peers is inequitable and noninclusive.

There are many ways that mainstream PE can be adapted for the students with a vision impairment as seen below.

Instructional practice

One of the most common practices in PE is for teachers to demonstrate movements to the whole class with comments like "move your arms across like this" or "move your leg like this". While students without a vision impairment are able to follow these instructions it does act as a barrier for students with a vision impairment to be involved in the lessons. Ensuring that the instructions are verbally explicit is vital for full involvement in physical education lessons. Often utilising the whole-part-whole pedagogy will allow the instructions and movements to be broken down individually for the students. The simple action of bounce passing a basketball can be explained explicitly as follows:

"Hold the basketball to your chest with both hands between the basketball and your chest with your palms facing the basketball so you are able to maintain control. Raise your elbows so they are parallel to the ground and push the ball towards the ground between yourself and your partner, ensuring that you follow through so the back of your hands end up facing each other and your fingers and arms are pointing towards the ground between yourself and your target."

It would then be possible to include more steps with the bounce pass, including "squaring" off to the target first and involving a step towards the target, again ensuring that each step is explained explicitly.

By explicitly explaining this movement students with vision impairment are able to follow each step. It is still useful to visually model the movement, for yourself and those students who are able to follow visually, but ensuring explicit explanation means that each lesson and movement is inclusive for all students.

There are times where it may be necessary to support a student or athlete with the physical movements required for the skill being taught. This hand over hand instruction can allow a teacher or coach to support a student to understand the gross or fine muscle movements required for a skill and can support students to move the skills into their muscle memory and support faster progression out of the cognitive stage of learning and support the progression into the associative or autonomous stages. While hand over hand support can be an effective pedagogical practice it is vital that before this is introduced that the teacher or coach has the permission of the student or athlete before manually handling the student. A simple "Do you mind if I show you the movement?" can be the difference between student refusal through embarrassment or frustration.

Potential Rule Changes

Each sport and game is different and requires teachers to understand what they would like to observe from the students. There is no simple one rule or equipment change that will make every sport accessible to athletes or students with a vision impairment. The most common mistake observed when involving a student with a vision impairment is to expect them to play with mainstream sports by simply giving them a chime ball. However, often simple rule changes can allow all students to be safely involved in fast paced and enjoyable games and sports.

Invasion games and sports can be daunting when including students or athletes with a vision impairment, however, enforcing defenders to communicate their position or intent to defend with a simple "voy" (mine in Portuguese) allows for continued communication with their peers and teammates in English and a makes the position of defenders clear for the athlete with a vision impairment.

Sports like basketball, netball or korfball are hard to play with audible balls as they often lose their touch and bounce from the bells and adapted bladders. This reduces the predictability of the ball, and makes the already difficult task of dribbling even harder. However, enforcing bounce passes allows students to hear the ball coming whilst simultaneously reducing the fear that the ball will hit them in the face without warning.

Net sports can also be difficult to track the fast moving ball through the three dimensional plane. By allowing for an additional bounce the student or athlete with vision impairment is far more likely to track and return or pass the ball as there is now an additional audible cue and the possibility of the ball slowing down before they have to interact with it.

It is important to acknowledge that some sports are harder for a student with a vision impairment, even simple sports such as running require some adaptations or support for some students (see below). However, there are very few sports that cannot be adapted to support the involvement of all students including those with vision impairment. For explicit ideas on how this can be done speak to your advisory teacher or Andrew Whisson (PE teacher at the SA School for Vision Impaired) for ideas that are unique for your student or athlete.

High Contrast Equipment

Finding the ideal equipment for each sport or game being taught is always difficult when teaching a student with vision impairment. However, considering the environment the sport or game is played in should always be the first step for any educator. Not only do you need to consider the safety of the students in the environment but also ensure that the equipment you choose is of high contrast to the environment. Taking an indoor game outdoors will change the surface colour, background colours and therefore the equipment required to be used.

Below are some photographs of balls across different surfaces to highlight the importance of changing the equipment depending on the environment the lesson is taking place in.

Six coloured wiffle balls on blue matting. One white,, one purple, one orange, one yellow, one red and one blue.

Coloured wiffle balls on blue flooring.

Coloured wiffle balls on green grass.

Six coloured wiffle balls on wooden flooring. One white,, one purple, one orange, one yellow, one red and one blue.

Coloured wiffle balls on light wooden gym floor.

Six coloured wiffle balls on asphalt. One white,, one purple, one orange, one yellow, one red and one blue.

Coloured wiffle balls on asphalt floor.

As can be observed above the different settings and environments really affect which of these 6 audible wiffle balls has best contrast in each setting. The lighter wooden floor, clearly requires the darker purple or blue ball. The yellow ball is preferable on the asphalt and blue flooring, and white ball has the best contrast on the grass.

This becomes even more obvious when we consider conditions such as monochromatism seen below.

Vision of coloured wiffle balls without vision impairment

Black and white photograph of six coloured wiffle balls on green grass. One white,, one purple, one orange, one yellow, one red and one blue. The image demonstrates the blending of different colours in a monochromatic image.

Vision of coloured wiffle balls with monochromotism

Here it is obvious to observe that the purple and blue balls are of low contrast to the darker green grass, while the red and orange blend in with the lighter tones of the green grass. The white ball is clearly of higher contrast to the other five balls.

Reducing clarity of the photos to mimic the lower acuity of some of our students and athletes with a vision impairment also demonstrates the importance of contrast.

The image on the left represents 6/6 vision. The middle image represents the equivalent of 6/24 vision. The image on the right represents the equivalent of 6/60 vision.

Vision of wiffle balls with 6/6 vision

Six coloured wiffle balls on green grass. One white,, one purple, one orange, one yellow, one red and one blue. The image is intentionally out of focus to represent an equivalent acuity of 6/24 vision.

Vision of wiffle balls with equivalent 6/24 vision

Vision of wiffle balls with equivalent 6/60 vision

Again on the green grass it becomes obvious that the lighter colours are a higher contrast and more visible and therefore easier to track for the student and athlete with vision impairment.

Below shows photographs of two soft foam balls and the difference in the contrast against the white wall of the gym and the blue flooring or a court. This again highlights the importance of considering the contrast of the equipment being used against the different surfaces.

Two soft volleyball sized balls held against a white wall. One of the balls is white, while the other is black with yellow flowers.

A white and black soft ball against a white wall.

Two soft volleyball sized balls sitting on blue matting. One of the balls is white, while the other is black with yellow flowers.

A white and black soft ball against a blue court.

It is not just balls that have to be considered when selecting the correct equipment to use, cones and markers too have to be considered before use. Below the contrast has again been highlighted with photos of rubber dots and cones being manipulated to simulate lower acuity and monochromatism. In both it is clear which markers should be used to support the student or athlete with vision impairment with contrast which will help reduce visual fatigue throughout the session.

4 coloured rubber marking dots on asphalt. One blue, one red, one yellow, one purple.

Multiple coloured rubber marking dots on asphalt.

4 coloured rubber marking dots on grass. One blue, one red, one yellow, one purple.

Multiple coloured rubber marking dots on grass.

5 coloured cones on grass. One white, One yellow, one red, one blue, one green.

Multiple coloured cones dots on grass.

A black and white photograph of 4 coloured rubber marking dots on asphalt. One blue, one red, one yellow, one purple.

Multiple coloured rubber marking dots on asphalt in monochrome.

A black and white photograph of 4 coloured rubber marking dots on grass. One blue, one red, one yellow, one purple.

Multiple coloured rubber marking dots on grass in monochrome.

Black and white photograph of 5 coloured cones on grass. One white, One yellow, one red, one blue, one green.

Multiple coloured cones dots on grass in monochrome.

4 coloured rubber marking dots on asphalt. One blue, one red, one yellow, one purple. The image is blurred to replicated lowered acuity.

Multiple coloured rubber marking dots on asphalt with lowered acuity.

4 coloured rubber marking dots on grass. One blue, one red, one yellow, one purple. The image is blurred to replicated lowered acuity.

Multiple coloured rubber marking dots on grass with lowered acuity.

5 coloured cones on grass. One white, One yellow, one red, one blue, one green. The image is blurred to replicated lowered acuity.

Multiple coloured cones dots on grass with lowered acuity.

Sun orientation

Sun orientation is a very simple yet effective tool for those teaching PE to students with or without vision impairment. Always consider where the sun is positioned in the sky and orientate your students with their back to the sun wherever possible. While some students can cope with some glare, other students can struggle with the bright and intense light from the sun. Professionals often refer to this intense reaction to the light as photophobia, and can cause considerable discomfort or pain to the student or athlete. Students with photophobia will often turn their heads away from the light, close their eyes or squint intensely when subjected to this glare. Photophobia can cause headaches, visual fatigue and for some students will considerably reduce their vision while outside and can even have lingering effects when they return to the darker classroom. For these students the use of sunglasses or transition lenses outside is essential, but even more so ensuring that the students are never positioned with the sun in their face. The easiest way to tell which way you should have the student facing is towards their shadow, and while the sun moves across the sky throughout the day your lessons should change orientation along with it.

The image shows the silhouette of a teacher with the sun behind him.

Position of teacher is vital. As shown here the orientation of the sun can result in silhouettes and increased glare.

Increasing size and surface area of equipment.

A simple way to support a student or athlete with a vision impairment achieve some success is by increasing the surface area or the size of the equipment being used. Larger or adapted equipment can be more forgiving and allow students or athletes to have greater success. Sports like tennis will often produce rackets with a slightly larger head and therefore a larger sweet spot for striking the ball, while this reduces the control over placement, it allows athletes to be less accurate with their swing and still achieve some success. Learning to track a larger ball can support students with their understanding of ball movement and allow the ball to be gradually reduced in size as the student has more success. Simply changing the movement can also support students achieve greater success. Below are photographs of a traditional vertical bat stroke in cricket next to the horizontal sweep shot. This changes the hitting zone from roughly 11cm to over 50cm allowing the success rate to be much higher.

The photo shows a man holding a cricket bat and attempting to hit the ball with the bat standing vertically. In doing so the bat is missing the ball by 3cm.

Image shows a vertical bat attempting to strike a blind cricket ball.

The photo shows a man holding a cricket bat and attempting to hit the ball with the bat in a horizontal position. In doing so the bat is hitting the ball in the center of the bat.

Image shows a horizontal bat attempting to strike a blind cricket ball.

Similarly increasing the size of ball in sports like hockey can increase the student or athlete's ability to track the ball whilst also reducing the accuracy required to control the ball whilst dribbling, passing or shooting. Simultaneously changing from a field hockey stick to a roller hockey, ice hockey or floorball stick also increases the surface area of the head or blade of the stick and allows for a greater margin or error.

Image shows a traditional wooden field hockey stick in front of a yellow wiffle ball.

The image above shows a typical field hockey stick with a wiffle ball. The field hockey stick has a small "blade", whilst the wiffle ball is also relatively small.

Image shows a red roller hockey stick in front of a yellow wiffle ball.

The image above shows a typical roller hockey stick with a wiffle ball. The roller hockey stick has a much larger blade than the field hockey stick and would allow for much easier control of the wiffle ball.

Image shows a traditional wooden field hockey stick in front of a larger yellow chime ball.

The image above shows a typical field hockey stick with a small chime ball. The field hockey stick has a small "blade", however, the small chime ball is significantly larger.

Image shows a red roller hockey stick in front of a larger yellow chime ball.

The image above shows a typical roller hockey stick with a small chime ball. The roller hockey stick has a much larger blade than the field hockey stick whilst the chime ball is significantly larger than the wiffle ball.

Even when learning to dribble a basketball, starting with a fitness ball can support the student to not only have greater success, but also support the student to learn the pushing motion over the slapping motion so commonly found in students first learning the skill. The fitness ball can be gradually reduced in size until the student is using a regulation sized basketball. This is shown in the photographic sequence shown below, as is the forced pushing motion using the softer and larger fitness ball promotes.

This is the first image in a series that shows a large blue fitness ball being bounced with two hands.

This is the second image in a series that shows a large blue fitness ball being bounced with two hands.

This is the third image in a series that shows a large blue fitness ball being bounced with two hands.

This is the forth image in a series that shows a large blue fitness ball being bounced with two hands.

This is the fifth image in a series that shows a large blue fitness ball being bounced with two hands.

This is the first image in a series that shows a small yellow fitness ball being bounced with two hands. The ball is still double the size of a basketball.

This is the second image in a series that shows a small yellow fitness ball being bounced with two hands. The ball is still double the size of a basketball.

This is the third image in a series that shows a small yellow fitness ball being bounced with two hands. The ball is still double the size of a basketball.

This is the forth image in a series that shows a small yellow fitness ball being bounced with two hands. The ball is still double the size of a basketball.

This is the fifth image in a series that shows a small yellow fitness ball being bounced with two hands. The ball is still double the size of a basketball.

This is the sixth image in a series that shows a small yellow fitness ball being bounced with two hands. The ball is still double the size of a basketball.

This is the first image in a series that shows a yellow basketball being bounced with one hand.

As demonstrated there are many different ways a PE teacher or coach can increase the surface area of the equipment to support the student or athlete with a vision impairment without too much specialist equipment. If you wish to know more, or need to understand the individual requirements of an individual student or sport please feel free to contact your advisory teacher at SASVI or Andrew Whisson (PE Teacher at SASVI).

Decreasing the length of equipment

In some cases it can be just as important to decrease the length of objects to reduce the distance a student has to work over to connect with or control a ball. When working out if the equipment should be larger or smaller to support the student consider if the length is going to support the student to increase the surface area or to simply make the hitting point or control point further away. By asking as student to use a bat or stick to work with a ball we are lengthening their arm and asking them to still be aware of the end of the equipment. Although not easy for any student at first, it is even harder when the visual input is impaired or non-existent and by simply making the control point further away we are relying on the student or athlete to have a greater spatial awareness than at a reduced distance.

Some equipment can be modified to ensure that it is shorter and reduces the length between the hands and the body or eyes. Below are some simple foam polo sticks that can be used in either hockey or T-ball, one has had it's handle shortened in order to maintain the increased surface area of the hitting zone while shortening the distance from the student or athlete. Although the power produced from the stick on the left will be greater, the control and accuracy will be far less than the one on the right.

This image shows an athlete hitting a large yellow ball off a tee using a foam polo stick with standard handle length.

This images shows a foam polo stick with standard handle.

This image shows an athlete hitting a large yellow ball off a tee using a foam polo stick with a shortened handle.

This images shows a foam polo stick with a shortened handle.

Some equipment may need to be purchased in order to reduce the size and therefore the required spatial awareness. Below is an example of similar concepts but reduced length of equipment. The lacrosse or sofcrosse basket is at an increased distance to the body, while the scoop ball handle is much closer to the hand and only requires the coordination of one hand to complete the scoop and throwing action.

This image shows an athlete trying to pick up a wiffle ball with a standard softcrosse stick.

Athlete picking up a wiffle ball with a softcrosse stick.

This image shows an athlete trying to pick up a wiffle ball with a scoop ball scoop..

Athlete picking up a wiffle ball with a scoop ball scoop.

Audible balls

What are audible balls?

Audible balls are balls that contain bells, rattles, buzzers or beepers that create a noise that allows athletes to track the ball with their ears. It is important to match the sound with the environment and the student(s) using them. An open space, such as an oval, field or pitch, may allow for the use of a buzzer or beep ball, while an enclosed space with hard surfaces may require a more subtle sound to reduce the echo caused by the louder buzzers or beepers. There are many pre-made audible balls on the market and simple techniques for adapting mainstream equipment to make it audible. For more information see the equipment section of this website, or contact your advisory teacher or Andrew Whisson (PE teacher at SASVI).

Why do I use them?

While not all students and athletes with vision impairment require audible balls, when first learning to track a ball in a new skill or sport audible balls can act an extra cue to support students to track the moving ball or player with the ball.

Image shows a white blind soccer ball with red swirls.

Blind soccer/football have rattles stitched inside the leather.

Beep kickballs have a loud pulsing beeper inserted inside.

Image shows a red senior goalball sitting next to a blue junior goalball.

Goalballs (red=senior, blue=junior) are produced with bells inside.

Audible Marker

What are audible markers?

Audible markers are audible devices that we use to act as a beacon, orientation tool or positional indicator for students with vision impairment. An audible marker could be as simple as a person talking, clapping or tapping an object and as technical as a speaker, buzzer or beeper. For more information see the equipment section of this website, or contact your advisory teacher or Andrew Whisson (PE teacher at SASVI)

Why do I use them?

Audible markers allow students to orientate towards a target or object of significance to reduce the need to visually orientate themselves during a sport or game. In doing so it allows students with vision impairment to move faster and with confidence in the correct direction allowing their game play to be smoother and far more independent.

Hands clapping can act as an audible marker.

Image shows a circuit inside a black pouch. A grey buzzer sits on top of the black pouch with a battery protruding out the top of the pouch.

Buzzers omit a great sound for a continuous audible marker

Image shows a black whistle inserted inside an orange, soft rubber ball that blows air when it is squeezed.

Whistles can act a simple solution for an audible marker

Tactile Lines

Tactile lines are quite simple to create and can be an invaluable tool in supporting athletes with a vision impairment become comfortable in their environment and the sporting activity involved. They can be as simple as drop down lines (rubber marking lines) used by sports like tennis to create courts on any surface, or in a more technical and permanent space a rope with court tape run over the top to create a line that is easily felt through shoes or with hands.

The tactile line acts as an orientation tool for students or athletes with vision impairment. It can act to quickly communicate the boundaries of a court as the athlete steps on or feels the line with their hand or body. Tactile lines also allow the athletes to move in a straight line parallel to the line, or stand with both feet on the line as shown below and know that they are perpendicular to the line and can then move directly across the playing space. Having this confidence in their environment allows for greater involvement and inclusion whilst allowing the athlete to demonstrate their best performance.

The image shows a tactile line created by laying black tape over the top of a rope.

A tactile line created using a rope covered by tape.

The image shows a tactile line and tactile marker created by laying black tape over the top of rope. The tactile marker sits perpendicular to the tactile line.

A tactile line with a tactile marker to support students to understand not only what direction they are facing but their position on the line.

The image shows a students standing with both feet on a tactile line. The tactile line created by laying black tape over the top of a rope.

The tactile line can be used to support athlete orientation. As shown here the athlete can use the tactile line to face perpendicular to court with confidence.

Tactile lines are used in many blind sports, including blind tennis and goalball. Using the line as shown here an athlete can "square off" to their opposition before serving, or throwing the ball.

The image shows a students using their hand to feel a tactile line. The tactile line created by laying black tape over the top of a rope.

The tactile line can also be used by the hand of the athlete to orientate themselves quickly and accurately. This is common practice in sports such as goalball, and allows athletes to be able to move and position themselves with confidence.

Squaring off

Squaring off towards a target is an important skill in all sports for students or athletes with vision impairment. Being able to square off with chest and shoulder takes some time to perfect, but there are certain techniques that can support this skill. To square off with chest it is possible to straighten both arms in front of one’s body and bring the hands together in a clapping motion with fingers tips pointing in the correct direction. If this is completed correctly the individual will have their shoulders squared off towards the target. This will allow athletes or students to run, jump, hit, throw or kick a ball or object towards a target or targeted area with an increased accuracy.

The image shows a support working guiding a blind athlete to square off towards a target.

Support working guiding an athlete to square off towards target/hole

Sighted guide and tethers

While not all students with low vision require a sighted guide, there are some situations where this may support the student to produce their best performance, as it reduces the need for the students to move fast with confidence. Like hand over hand support it should always be the student or athlete's choice to accept sighted guide so permission should always be sought before any physical contact is made.

A common and less intrusive way of giving sighted guide in a sporting context is the use of a tether. A tether can be a simple as a piece of rope or ribbon and can be tied or untied depending on the preference of the student or athlete. The pictures below show a tether tied with two loops as this was the athletes preference, however, it is possible to simply have one loop or none.

One of the most common uses of a tether is during athletics as the tether allows the sighted guide to support the student or athlete to stay in their lane and focus simply on running as fast as they can.

Both the athlete and the sighted guide should hold either end of the tether (as shown in the picture below), ensuring that they are able to release the tether should either lose their balance.

It is important when starting to allow the athlete to dictate which foot they wish to take off from and match this so there is no bumping or entanglement of legs as running. Once running the athlete with a vision impairment should dictate the speed, stride length and arm swing. Throughout the race the sighted guide should never lead, pull or push and should be clearly behind the athlete with vision impairment as they cross the finish line.

Picture shows a ribbon tied in two knots sitting on a grey background.

Tether tied from a scrap piece of ribbon

The image shows two people holding a double loop tether.

Simple tether made out of ribbon allows the sighted athlete to guide the athlete with a vision impairment in the correct direction.

Equipment available

There is a lot of equipment available for schools and clubs. For ideas on available equipment please follow the button below to see the current list on this website.

Adaptive Equipment

Contact us.

For more information please feel free to contact the SA School for Vision Impaired.

General information

Principal: Peter Haskell

Postal Address: SA School for Vision Impaired, 1B Duncan Avenue, Park Holme, South Australia, 5011

Phone Number: 82775255

Email: dl.1014.admin@schools.sa.edu.au

PE information

PE Teacher: Andrew Whisson

Postal Address: SA School for Vision Impaired, 1B Duncan Avenue, Park Holme, South Australia, 5011

Phone Number: 82775255

Email: andrew.whisson585@schools.sa.edu.au

Visit SA School for Vision Impaired website