ness, but if done properly, can be used as a powerful teaching tool for all participants. Creating an
integrated neighborhood classroom with students
from a residential school is a means by which to
include sports such as goalball, beep baseball,
and power showdown into both curricula. Allowing
residential students the opportunity to participate
in an inclusive physical education setting allows
them to physically and socially engage in a safe,
natural, and controlled setting. It also allows students without disabilities the ability to participate
in a disability awareness program where they can
appreciate working and playing with students with
visual impairments. Students from the residential
program can return the favor by teaching their
sport-specific games and rules (e.g. goalball).
Residential sports teams also provide a
similar experience. Residential
sports teams and local school teams can join for
practices or events. Joining
wrestling, swimming, cheerleading, or track practices allows residential students to learn training
strategies and techniques that are being used in
their local schools districts. Combining the two
teams allows for a great social bond and a
friendly competition that brings the true value of
athletics and sportsmanship to the forefront for
everyone involved.
Physical Education Research
In comparison to typically developing peers,
students with visual impairments participate in
less moderate to vigorous activity (Kozub & Oh,
2004). Almost sixty percent of students with visual
impairments have reported not having adequate
opportunities to participate in physical activities,
including nineteen percent who do not have
physical education class (Ponchillia, Armbruster,
& Wiebold, 2005). Students suggest that transportation, lack of family involvement, and safety
as barriers to participation (Ayvazoglu, Oh, & Ko-
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