brailler in the world.

I think the same

thing as my brother.
Paul, another student, said, The
SMART Brailler helps me learn the letters and contractions and I dont need any
help when I do it because I can tell when
I do it right or wrong. Its quicker for me
to learn. . . . and I like the different
languages.

Augustine, FL 32084; e-mail: michaelsonk@

fsdb.k12.fl.us.

Physical Education and Visual

Impairment: Collaborative
Communication for Effective
Inclusion
Mey van Munster, Erin Weaver, Lauren
Lieberman, and Katrina Arndt
tudents with visual impairments need access to differentiated, inclusive opportunities
for physical education. Research has demonstrated that significant improvements in motor
activity and balance are possible for these
students through training (Aki, Turan, &
Kayihan, 2007; Jazi, Purrajabi, Movahedi, &
Jalali, 2012). Unfortunately, physical education teachers have reported that they face
challenges in working with visually impaired
students, due to the lack of specific information regarding how such students learn and
how to effectively differentiate lessons (Conroy, 2012).
Lieberman, Haegele, Columna, and Conroy
(2014) noted that teachers of visually impaired students and certified orientation and
mobility (O&M) specialists can help with
many aspects of physical education, since
there are several components of the expanded
core curriculum that can be learned through
physical education. To address the gap between physical education teachers interest
in supporting students and their ability to do
so effectively, we have developed three
forms for physical education teachers,
teachers of visually impaired students, and
O&M specialists to use throughout the
school year. The focus of the forms is on
helping physical education teachers understand and maximize students functional vision during classes.
When selecting teaching strategies and materials to be used in physical education
classes, the teacher may ask: What is the most
suitable surface type (brightness, color, con-

CONCLUSION
All of the teachers we interviewed indicated that the SMART Brailler improved the speed and accuracy of their
students who were learning braille. As a
result of these improvements, educators
at FSDB have modified their methodology for teaching braille to incorporate
the Perkins SMART Brailler. Teachers
indicated the device allowed them to
use their time more efficiently and that
their students demonstrated renewed
senses of ownership for their written
materials as well as increased motivation to learn. Teachers said that several
of the children who were having the
most difficulty learning braille were
able to learn much faster than they did
before using the device. Students reported that they perceived learning
braille as fun, and teachers told us
that their students competed for time to
use the SMART Braillers.
Laura Matz, M.B.A., director of marketing and
sales, Perkins Products, Perkins School for the
Blind, 175 North Beacon Street, Watertown, MA
02472; e-mail: laura.matz@perkins.org. David Morgan, M.B.A., former vice president and
general manager, Perkins Products, Perkins School
for the Blind; e-mail: ties_dm@yahoo.com.
Kathleen J. Michaelson, M.Ed., teacher of students with visual impairments, braille specialist,
The Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind, 207
North San Marco Avenue, 208 Kramer Hall, St.

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Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, May-June 2015

231

Figure 1. Functional Vision Information for Physical Education Settings. Note: TVI teacher
of students who are visually impaired; COMS certified O&M instructor.

232

Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, May-June 2015

2015 AFB, All Rights Reserved

Figure 1. (Cont.)

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Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, May-June 2015

233

Figure 1. (Cont.)
trast) for the visual needs of the student? At
what distance is the student able to identify
the approach of a moving ball? Is the lighting
of the sports environment ideal for the students visual condition? Where (which side,
distance, height) should the physical educa-

234

tion teacher, paraeducator, or peer provide

visual stimulation (visual demonstration or
materials)? These are common questions
among physical education teachers who have
students with visual impairments included in
their classes. The purpose of this Practice

Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, May-June 2015

2015 AFB, All Rights Reserved

Figure 2. Update on Equipment and Modifications. Note: TSVI teacher of students with visual impairments.
Perspective is to share three forms to help
physical education teachers gather information from teachers of students with visual
impairments and O&M specialists. The result
of this collaboration may improve opportunities in physical education for children with
visual impairments.
The concepts students need to learn in
O&M lessons should stem from the skills that
2015 AFB, All Rights Reserved

the physical education teacher has identified

as abilities students need to learn. For example, if the upcoming unit is volleyball, the
student will need to know how to recognize
the six basic positions on the court; how to
move right, left, and clockwise to rotate positions; and how to respond to directions from
the teacher about positioning. The teacher
might orient the student to the size and shape

Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, May-June 2015

235

Figure 3. End-of-Unit Planning.

Figure 4. Use of forms throughout the year.

Note: TVI teacher of students with visual
impairments; O&M orientation and mobility specialist; PE physical education.

236

of the court; the placement of the net; and the

placement of each position relative to the net,
front, and back of the court. The teacher of
visually impaired students may consider adding rope taped to the boundaries of the court,
or adding bright tape to the floor or top and
bottom of the net.
If the student and physical education
teacher are unfamiliar to the teacher of visually impaired students at the beginning of the
year, the latter may attend several physical
education classes with the student, observing
and supporting him or her. Teachers of visually impairment students and O&M specialists complete the Functional Vision Information for Physical Education Settings form
(Figure 1), which is intended to provide

Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, May-June 2015

2015 AFB, All Rights Reserved

physical education teachers with valuable resources for the school year.
The Update on Equipment and Modifications form (Figure 2) can be exchanged between the physical education teacher and the
teacher of visually impairment students several times throughout the year. The form is
designed so that the white columns are
completed by the physical education teacher
and the shaded ones are completed by the
teacher of visually impaired students. In the
best case scenario, the teacher of visually
impaired students has information in advance
of instruction so that O&M instructions can
include preteaching to allow the student to be
well prepared for upcoming units (Conroy,
2012; Lieberman et al., 2014).
The End-of-Unit Planning form (Figure 3)
is completed more frequently. If possible, the
teacher of visually impaired students would
complete it at the beginning of each unit and
then provide ongoing support through the use
of the Update on Equipment and Modifications and End-of-Unit Planning forms. See
Figure 4 for a diagram of the use of these
three forms throughout the year.
As of this writing, during the 2014 2015
school year, these forms were used by over
30 teachers in four states. Professional exchange and the sharing of information
between physical education teachers, teachers of visually impaired students, and O&M
specialists can be integral parts of service
delivery for visually impaired students. It is
our hope that the proposed forms will help
strengthen the communication among specialists on physical education settings. Collaborative action between these professionals facilitates the success and effectiveness

2015 AFB, All Rights Reserved

of the inclusion process for students with

visual impairments.

REFERENCES
Aki, E., Turan, A., & Kayihan, H. (2007).
Training motor skills in children with low
vision. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 104,
1328 1336.
Conroy, P. (2012). Supporting students with
visual impairments in physical education.
Insight: Research and Practice in Visual
Impairment & Blindness, 5(1), 310.
Jazi, S., Purrajabi, F., Movahedi, A., &
Jalali, S. (2012). Effect of selected balance exercises on the dynamics balance
of children with visual impairments.
Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 106(8), 466 474.
International Blind Sports Federation. (2013).
Classification IBSA. Retrieved from: http://
www.ibsasport.org/classification
Lieberman, L. J., Haegele, J. A., Columna, L.,
& Conroy, P. (2014). How students with
visual impairments can learn components
of the expanded core curriculum through
physical education. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 108(3), 239 248.
Mey van Munster, Ph.D., associate professor,
Universidade Federal de So Carlos Brazil,
Avenida Francisco Falvo 248, So Carlos/SP,
Brazil 13565-545; e-mail: munster.mey@gmail.
com. Erin Weaver, Ms.Ed., teacher of blind and
visually impaired students, Genesee Valley Educational Partnership, 80 Munson Street, Leroy, NY
14482; e-mail: eweaver@gvboces.org. Lauren Lieberman, Ph.D., distinguished service professor, Kinesiology, Sport Studies and Physical
Education, The College at Brockport, 350 New
Campus Drive, B307 Tuttle North, Brockport, NY
14420; e-mail: llieberm@brockport.edu.
Katrina Arndt, Ph.D., associate professor, St.
John Fisher College, RCW 109, 3690 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14618; e-mail: karndt@sjfc.
edu. Please address all correspondance to Dr.
van Munster.

Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, May-June 2015

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