Division on Visual Impairments

DVI Quarterly Volume 58(1)

A quarterly newsletter from the Council for Exceptional Children's Division on Visual Impairments containing practitioner tips for Teachers of Students with Visual Impairments, Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialists, and other professionals.

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34 ingness to participate in this research project. IRB approval was granted by the first author's university and permission was granted by each participant and parent. There were no consequences if a family declined to participate. The participants who were visually impaired and their parents were interviewed separately before their ski outing. The instrument used was constructed with closed and open responses and focused on the participant's perceptions and knowledge of the upcoming ski experience. The students and parents, as well as their teachers, were also interviewed after the ski experience to measure their immediate reaction to program participation. Each interview was audio-taped for qualitative analysis. Daily ski reports by guides were also examined. Descriptive data were collected on all participants. Following the data collection period, the data were analyzed and broken into themes regarding impact and outcomes. Themes were studied and results interpreted. Results and Discussion The mission of the Foresight Ski Guide Program is to promote fitness, athletic skills, personal achievement, and self-esteem for individuals who are blind and visually impaired. Participants in the program are assisted in skiing by well-trained and experienced guides who work with individuals who are visually impaired of all ages and skiing ability levels. Results of the interviews showed that the Foresight Ski Guide experience promoted five of the nine skill areas of the Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC). Themes that emerged from the data analysis regarding the relationship of skills included: recreation and leisure, social interaction, self-determination, orientation and mobility, and sensory efficiency. Each of these areas is described below. Recreation and Leisure Participation in sports and physical activity

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