Physical Education Skill Development of Individuals With Visual Impairments: A Preliminary Study

Abstract

Evidence suggests that youth with visual impairments often experience exclusion from participation in physical education (PE). This study examined the frequency that individuals with visual impairments reported having learned fundamental motor skills and commonly taught PE sports skills, the importance that they ascribed to learning such skills, and their confidence that youth with visual impairments could master them. Adults with visual impairments completed an online questionnaire regarding their experiences with common PE skills. Data were analyzed through frequency analysis and repeated-measures analysis of covariance. Participants engaged most frequently in fundamental motor skills and least in team sports. Participants’ mean ratings of confidence and importance were highest for fundamental motor skills compared with other skill categories. Results regarding nonparticipation in some skills align with previous findings that youth with visual impairments often do not participate in all aspects of PE.