Exercise for Special Populations Omar Ward, Trinity Cumo

Visual Impairment Lab (10 pts)

Part 1: Break into pairs and blindfold 1 partner. The visually impaired client should
pretend that they are not familiar with the facility or the exercises. Lead your blind
client throughout Boyle

Please include walking upstairs

Navigating through hallway
Perform the following:

Start your client exercising on the bike, treadmill, or stepper

Perform the sit & reach test
Instruct & complete some abdominal crunches
Instruct & complete upper body dumbbell exercise
Put earplugs on the other partner and repeat step 3.
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Questions:

1. How did it feel to be blind? What specifically did your leader do or not do that
decreased/increased your anxiety?
It was very uncomfortable, obviously not being able to see, and the
anxiety of running into something or someone was the only thing I could think
about. She made sure to hold my hand and guide me in the right direction and
if there was a pole, chair, or railing in front of me put my hand on it to make
sure I knew where it was and I could walk around it. Definitely also helped a lot
whenever I was on the stairs and made sure to tell me how many steps were
left before I got to a platform and to hold onto the railings.

2. As a blind client, what concerns/reservations might you have with regard to

exercise?
It helped for both of us because I knew how to do the exercises but if I
were an individual who didn’t know how to do them I would say giving them
the weights and asking if you could touch them while assisting them with the
exercises. Actually pulling up the weights for them during a bicep curl so they
can feel the motion and you can talk them through what they’re supposed to
be feeling. Also counting out their reps for them so they can focus on their
form. A concern I would say is if they’re doing a bench press or any weight
lifting over the head area, being able not to see I think would be a trigger for
anxiety because you can’t see where the weight is so keeping the weights
light during those activities would be a consideration.
3. As an Exercise Professional, what techniques did you use to lead your blind
client? What worked best......what didn’t work? How could you improve your
leading abilities?
Asking for permission first if you could touch them. I used physical
touch to lead the blind. I allowed them to feel their surroundings. I showed him
the door and the handle and allowed him to open the door and lead him to the
lounge area where there are a lot of objects and allowed him to feel the chairs
and the poles and lead him to the stairs. Make them feel the railing and allow
him to feel the steps with his feet, and tell him where the platforms were and
how many steps he had left. I think guiding them with your voice was difficult
due to the other noises in the area, and them being unfamiliar with their
surroundings.

4. As the seeing Exercise Professional, how hard was it to get the client to complete
the different exercises? How did you have to modify your “normal” instruction?
What potential problems/barriers could occur with working with a visually impaired
client?
I thought it was easy because he was an athlete and knew how to
perform exercises. Which felt like cheating but he performed them well. It was
difficult to show a blind and deaf person how to perform different exercises.
You would have to guide their body on how to perform the exercises. It was
hard to walk my client into the room since so many people wanted to mess
with him, which caused him to be scared and be defensive. While working with
a visually impaired person I thought it was a fun challenge to get them to use
their other senses to figure out how to get around. I can see those new
surroundings and change from carpet to hardwood would be a challenge, and
could scare the impaired person causing high anxiety and stress.

5. List 2 considerations & modifications for the visually impaired client & 2 for the
hearing impaired.

Visually impaired
1. Vibrations would help with certain objects, like railings and door knobs
to help guide them.
2. Talk louder than your normal voice, even repeat the same thing over so
that they know where they’re going or what they’re doing

Hearing-impaired
1. Physical touch and guiding and to make sure to allow them to feel their
surroundings. Allow them to copy your movements on how to perform
different exercises.
2. If you were to work for agility and speed, flashing multicolor light would
be the best option to help guide them.
3. Writing out steps of what we are doing, and how to perform each step in
that exercise.