Exercise‌‌for‌‌Special‌‌Populations‌‌Omar‌‌Ward,‌‌Trinity‌‌Cumo‌ 

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Visual‌‌Impairment‌‌Lab‌‌(10‌‌pts)‌  ‌
Part‌‌1:‌‌Break‌‌into‌‌pairs‌‌and‌‌blindfold‌‌1‌‌partner.‌ ‌The‌‌visually‌‌impaired‌‌client‌‌should‌‌  
pretend‌‌that‌‌they‌‌are‌‌not‌‌familiar‌‌with‌‌the‌‌facility‌‌or‌‌the‌‌exercises.‌‌Lead‌‌your‌‌blind‌‌
 
client‌‌throughout‌‌Boyle‌  ‌
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Please‌‌include‌‌walking‌‌upstairs‌  ‌
Navigating‌‌through‌‌hallway‌  ‌
Perform‌‌the‌‌following:‌  ‌
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Start‌‌your‌‌client‌‌exercising‌‌on‌‌the‌‌bike,‌‌treadmill,‌‌or‌‌stepper‌  ‌
Perform‌‌the‌‌sit‌‌&‌‌reach‌‌test‌  ‌
Instruct‌‌&‌‌complete‌‌some‌‌abdominal‌‌crunches‌  ‌
Instruct‌‌&‌‌complete‌‌upper‌‌body‌‌dumbbell‌‌exercise‌  ‌
Put‌‌earplugs‌‌on‌‌the‌‌other‌‌partner‌‌and‌‌repeat‌‌step‌‌3.‌  ‌
___________________________________________________________________‌  ‌
Questions:‌  ‌
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1.‌ ‌How‌‌did‌‌it‌‌feel‌‌to‌‌be‌‌blind?‌ ‌What‌‌specifically‌‌did‌‌your‌‌leader‌‌do‌‌or‌‌not‌‌do‌‌that‌‌
 
decreased/increased‌‌your‌‌anxiety?‌‌    ‌
It‌‌was‌‌very‌‌uncomfortable,‌‌obviously‌‌not‌‌being‌‌able‌‌to‌‌see,‌‌and‌‌the‌ 
anxiety‌‌of‌‌running‌‌into‌‌something‌‌or‌‌someone‌‌was‌‌the‌‌only‌‌thing‌‌I‌‌could‌‌think‌‌  
about.‌‌She‌‌made‌‌sure‌‌to‌‌hold‌‌my‌‌hand‌‌and‌‌guide‌‌me‌‌in‌‌the‌‌right‌‌direction‌‌and‌‌  
if‌‌there‌‌was‌‌a‌‌pole,‌‌chair,‌‌or‌‌railing‌‌in‌‌front‌‌of‌‌me‌‌put‌‌my‌‌hand‌‌on‌‌it‌‌to‌‌make‌‌  
sure‌‌I‌‌knew‌‌where‌‌it‌‌was‌‌and‌‌I‌‌could‌‌walk‌‌around‌‌it.‌‌Definitely‌‌also‌‌helped‌‌a‌‌lot‌‌  
whenever‌‌I‌‌was‌‌on‌‌the‌‌stairs‌‌and‌‌made‌‌sure‌‌to‌‌tell‌‌me‌‌how‌‌many‌‌steps‌‌were‌‌  
left‌‌before‌‌I‌‌got‌‌to‌‌a‌‌platform‌‌and‌‌to‌‌hold‌‌onto‌‌the‌‌railings.‌‌    ‌
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2.‌ ‌As‌‌a‌‌blind‌‌client,‌‌what‌‌concerns/reservations‌‌might‌‌you‌‌have‌‌with‌‌regard‌‌to‌‌
 
exercise?‌‌    ‌
It‌‌helped‌‌for‌‌both‌‌of‌‌us‌‌because‌‌I‌‌knew‌‌how‌‌to‌‌do‌‌the‌‌exercises‌‌but‌‌if‌‌I ‌‌
were‌‌an‌‌individual‌‌who‌‌didn’t‌‌know‌‌how‌‌to‌‌do‌‌them‌‌I‌‌would‌‌say‌‌giving‌‌them‌‌  
the‌‌weights‌‌and‌‌asking‌‌if‌‌you‌‌could‌‌touch‌‌them‌‌while‌‌assisting‌‌them‌‌with‌‌the‌‌  
exercises.‌‌Actually‌‌pulling‌‌up‌‌the‌‌weights‌‌for‌‌them‌‌during‌‌a‌‌bicep‌‌curl‌‌so‌‌they‌‌  
can‌‌feel‌‌the‌‌motion‌‌and‌‌you‌‌can‌‌talk‌‌them‌‌through‌‌what‌‌they’re‌‌supposed‌‌to‌‌  
be‌‌feeling.‌‌Also‌‌counting‌‌out‌‌their‌‌reps‌‌for‌‌them‌‌so‌‌they‌‌can‌‌focus‌‌on‌‌their‌‌  
form.‌‌A‌‌concern‌‌I‌‌would‌‌say‌‌is‌‌if‌‌they’re‌‌doing‌‌a‌‌bench‌‌press‌‌or‌‌any‌‌weight‌‌  
lifting‌‌over‌‌the‌‌head‌‌area,‌‌being‌‌able‌‌not‌‌to‌‌see‌‌I‌‌think‌‌would‌‌be‌‌a‌‌trigger‌‌for‌‌ 
anxiety‌‌because‌‌you‌‌can’t‌‌see‌‌where‌‌the‌‌weight‌‌is‌‌so‌‌keeping‌‌the‌‌weights‌‌  
light‌‌during‌‌those‌‌activities‌‌would‌‌be‌‌a‌‌consideration.‌‌    ‌
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3.‌ ‌As‌‌an‌‌Exercise‌‌Professional,‌‌what‌‌techniques‌‌did‌‌you‌‌use‌‌to‌‌lead‌‌your‌‌blind‌‌
 
client?‌ ‌What‌‌worked‌‌best......what‌‌didn’t‌‌work?‌ ‌How‌‌could‌‌you‌‌improve‌‌your‌‌  
leading‌‌abilities?‌  ‌
Asking‌‌for‌‌permission‌‌first‌‌if‌‌you‌‌could‌‌touch‌‌them.‌‌I‌‌used‌‌physical‌‌  
touch‌‌to‌‌lead‌‌the‌‌blind.‌‌I‌‌allowed‌‌them‌‌to‌‌feel‌‌their‌‌surroundings.‌‌I‌‌showed‌‌him‌‌  
the‌‌door‌‌and‌‌the‌‌handle‌‌and‌‌allowed‌‌him‌‌to‌‌open‌‌the‌‌door‌‌and‌‌lead‌‌him‌‌to‌‌the‌‌  
lounge‌‌area‌‌where‌‌there‌‌are‌‌a‌‌lot‌‌of‌‌objects‌‌and‌‌allowed‌‌him‌‌to‌‌feel‌‌the‌‌chairs‌‌  
and‌‌the‌‌poles‌‌and‌‌lead‌‌him‌‌to‌‌the‌‌stairs.‌‌Make‌‌them‌‌feel‌‌the‌‌railing‌‌and‌‌allow‌ 
him‌‌to‌‌feel‌‌the‌‌steps‌‌with‌‌his‌‌feet,‌‌and‌‌tell‌‌him‌‌where‌‌the‌‌platforms‌‌were‌‌and‌‌ 
how‌‌many‌‌steps‌‌he‌‌had‌‌left.‌‌I‌‌think‌‌guiding‌‌them‌‌with‌‌your‌‌voice‌‌was‌‌difficult‌‌  
due‌‌to‌‌the‌‌other‌‌noises‌‌in‌‌the‌‌area,‌‌and‌‌them‌‌being‌‌unfamiliar‌‌with‌‌their‌‌  
surroundings.‌‌    ‌
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4.‌ ‌As‌‌the‌‌seeing‌‌Exercise‌‌Professional,‌‌how‌‌hard‌‌was‌‌it‌‌to‌‌get‌‌the‌‌client‌‌to‌‌complete‌‌  
the‌‌different‌‌exercises?‌ ‌How‌‌did‌‌you‌‌have‌‌to‌‌modify‌‌your‌‌“normal”‌‌instruction?‌  ‌
What‌‌potential‌‌problems/barriers‌‌could‌‌occur‌‌with‌‌working‌‌with‌‌a‌‌visually‌‌impaired‌‌  
client?‌  ‌
I‌‌thought‌‌it‌‌was‌‌easy‌‌because‌‌he‌‌was‌‌an‌‌athlete‌‌and‌‌knew‌‌how‌‌to‌‌  
perform‌‌exercises.‌‌Which‌‌felt‌‌like‌‌cheating‌‌but‌‌he‌‌performed‌‌them‌‌well.‌‌It‌‌was‌‌  
difficult‌‌to‌‌show‌‌a‌‌blind‌‌and‌‌deaf‌‌person‌‌how‌‌to‌‌perform‌‌different‌‌exercises.‌‌  
You‌‌would‌‌have‌‌to‌‌guide‌‌their‌‌body‌‌on‌‌how‌‌to‌‌perform‌‌the‌‌exercises.‌‌It‌‌was‌‌  
hard‌‌to‌‌walk‌‌my‌‌client‌‌into‌‌the‌‌room‌‌since‌‌so‌‌many‌‌people‌‌wanted‌‌to‌‌mess‌‌  
with‌‌him,‌‌which‌‌caused‌‌him‌‌to‌‌be‌‌scared‌‌and‌‌be‌‌defensive.‌‌While‌‌working‌‌with‌‌  
a‌‌visually‌‌impaired‌‌person‌‌I‌‌thought‌‌it‌‌was‌‌a‌‌fun‌‌challenge‌‌to‌‌get‌‌them‌‌to‌‌use‌‌  
their‌‌other‌‌senses‌‌to‌‌figure‌‌out‌‌how‌‌to‌‌get‌‌around.‌‌I‌‌can‌‌see‌‌those‌‌new‌‌  
surroundings‌‌and‌‌change‌‌from‌‌carpet‌‌to‌‌hardwood‌‌would‌‌be‌‌a‌‌challenge,‌‌and‌‌  
could‌‌scare‌‌the‌‌impaired‌‌person‌‌causing‌‌high‌‌anxiety‌‌and‌‌stress.‌  ‌
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5.‌ ‌List‌‌2‌‌considerations‌‌&‌‌modifications‌‌for‌‌the‌‌visually‌‌impaired‌‌client‌‌&‌‌2‌‌for‌‌the‌‌
 
hearing‌‌impaired.‌  ‌
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Visually‌‌impaired‌ 
1. Vibrations‌‌would‌‌help‌‌with‌‌certain‌‌objects,‌‌like‌‌railings‌‌and‌‌door‌‌knobs‌‌  
to‌‌help‌‌guide‌‌them.‌  ‌
2. Talk‌‌louder‌‌than‌‌your‌‌normal‌‌voice,‌‌even‌‌repeat‌‌the‌‌same‌‌thing‌‌over‌‌so‌‌  
that‌‌they‌‌know‌‌where‌‌they’re‌‌going‌‌or‌‌what‌‌they’re‌‌doing‌  ‌
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Hearing-impaired‌  ‌
1. Physical‌‌touch‌‌and‌‌guiding‌‌and‌‌to‌‌make‌‌sure‌‌to‌‌allow‌‌them‌‌to‌‌feel‌‌their‌‌  
surroundings.‌‌Allow‌‌them‌‌to‌‌copy‌‌your‌‌movements‌‌on‌‌how‌‌to‌‌perform‌‌  
different‌‌exercises.‌  ‌
2. If‌‌you‌‌were‌‌to‌‌work‌‌for‌‌agility‌‌and‌‌speed,‌‌flashing‌‌multicolor‌‌light‌‌would‌‌  
be‌‌the‌‌best‌‌option‌‌to‌‌help‌‌guide‌‌them.‌  ‌
3. Writing‌‌out‌‌steps‌‌of‌‌what‌‌we‌‌are‌‌doing,‌‌and‌‌how‌‌to‌‌perform‌‌each‌‌step‌‌in‌‌  
that‌‌exercise.‌‌   ‌
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