Competition and Team Sports

This section focuses on general fitness ideas and modifications for team and competitive sports activities, while also highlighting some of the benefits of participating actively in sports programs.

Modifications and Suggestions for Training and Competition; US Association of Blind Athletes (USABA)
http://www.usaba.org/Pages/sportsinformation/sportsadaptations.html
USABA provides a list of adaptations for many sports, including gymnastics, cycling, and swimming, and skiing.

Sports & Exercise; VisionAWARE
http://www.visionaware.org/sports_exercise
VisionAWARE site offers general tips for participating in sports, as well as frequently asked questions about specific sports.

Suggested Modifications for Sports Activities; Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (TSBVI)
http://www.tsbvi.edu/Education/sports-mod.htm
Modifications include equipment, general suggestions for team sports, and strategies for a long list of specific sports.

Teamwork Builds Self-Confidence, Fitness; The Braille Forum, American Council of the Blind
http://www.acb.org/magazine/2004/bf040504.html#bf15
Gary Norman describes his experience rowing and the physical and psychological benefits of participating in crew.

Research

Athletes with Visual Impairments: Attributes and Sports Participation; Western Michigan University
http://www.blindjudofoundation.org/Ponchilliaathletes.pdf
This study of athletes with visual impairments provides "strong evidence of the value of inclusion in physical education classes and benefits of school sports participation."

Gross Motor Skills and Sports Participation of Children With Visual Impairments; Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance
http://www.aahperd.org/Memberweb/MemberCentral/RQES/pdf_files/Vol78No2_Houwen.pdf
The authors examine the "gross motor skill performance of children with visual impairments and its association with the degree of visual impairment and sports participation."

Web-Based Organizations and Internet Resources

Information and Resource Referral Project:  Blind Sports and Recreation Resources; Mississippi State
http://www.blind.msstate.edu/irr/sport.html
The Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Blindness and Low Vision at Mississippi State provides links to organizations, programs, equipment, and international sites.

Special Issue: Sports, Fitness, and Blindness; Future Reflections, National Association of the Blind
http://www.nfb.org/images/nfb/Publications/fr/fr26/Issue2/fr07sumtc.htm
This special issue of Future Reflections features articles on a wide range of topics related to sports and fitness, including physical education, camps, competition, lifestyle, and adventure.