Makayla Kintner and Katie Koziarz

Exercise for Special Populations

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
1. Please include walking up stairs
2. Navigating through hallway
3. 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.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Questions:
1. How did it feel to be blind? What specifically did your leader do or not do that decreased/increased your anxiety?
I did not like not being able to see where I was going. I liked how my leader told me where I was going before I stepped. I also liked how my partner allowed me to grab on to her arm
to help lead me. I did not like going down the stairs. This increased my anxiety but my leader did a good job of using verbal cues and helping me find the handrails. Overall, my leader
did a really good job telling me what was in my way when I was walking and allowed me to feel comfortable to walk around with a blind fold on.

2. As a blind client, what concerns/reservations might you have with regards to exercise?
For me I was comfortable performing the exercises because I was already familiar with how to perform them. If I was blind I would not like the unknown of exercising without vision.
I also wouldn't be able to see my form which would be concerning to me.
3. As the seeing 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?
I asked the client for permission to touch her, then guided her by having her hold my arm. It worked best to move very slowly and explain her surroundings and where we were. It did
not work well to just say left and right because it was not specific enough. I could improve my specificity when talking about direction and finding better ways to stand so there would
be more space for us to walk through doorways and smaller areas.

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?
It was not as difficult to get my client to complete the different exercises as it was to navigate through the stairs and other parts of the building. Since we were staying in the same place
for most of these exercises it was not as difficult. I modified my normal instruction by asking permission to touch her arms and legs in order to direct her. A problem/barrier for
working with visually impaired clients is not being able to demonstrate and have them watch. In addition, they may be at a higher risk of injury during exercise due to not knowing
their surroundings.

5. List 2 considerations & modifications for the visually impaired client & 2 for the hearing impaired.
For clients that are visually impaired it is important to keep the room in which you are working clear of clutter and keep the equipment in the same location so the individual can orient
themselves in the room. For the hearing impaired client it is important to face them when speaking and maintain at a level where they can see you speak. It is also important to
demonstrate and speak clearly and slowly, but still at a natural pace.