VIDBE-Q 2025 Volume 70 Issue 4
Open with a brief talk to frame blindness/low vision in sport: students with
VI can participate fully with adaptations (environmental setup, clear cues, guiding
options, adapted equipment). Then conduct a boundary walk to identify safe zones,
exits, and potential hazards (e.g., pillars, benches).
Introduce the four shared safety/guide cues (posted on the wall as a
cue‑card): "SPACE CHECK!" (before moving or guiding, make sure
backpacks/obstacles are removed, lanes are free, and the perimeter is safe),
"READY‑GO!" (warn the partner that the group is about to start), "SLOW!"
(verbally signal to reduce speed), "STOP!" (immediate, safe stop). Keep wording
short and always the same; rehearse these cues before every activity.
Exercise 1—Paired work with a short tether.
Organize dyads and provide each pair with a short tether; one partner is
blindfolded to simulate blindness and the other guides. Partners alternate roles.
Begin by walking the gym perimeter and a four‑cone slalom along the long side.
The guide speaks before acting (e.g., "In three steps we turn left… SLOW…
STOP!") and both partners coordinate arm‑swing for rhythm. Then repeat the
pathway as a slow guided run. See the MOOC module for video demonstrations of
these guiding techniques (MOVE AS YOU ARE Consortium, n.d.).
Exercise 2—Sound‑orientation runs (no tether).
187
