Physical Education for Residential
Schools
Why is Physical Education Important
in Residential Schools for the Blind?
Justin A. Haegele & Matthew Mescall
The Ohio State University & The Maryland
School for the Blind
10
In the first part of this series, Inclusive
Physical Education, the authors discussed the importance of physical education for students with
visual impairments. Physical education can be
described as a medium for guiding students
through the process of living a physically active
life (Hodge, Lieberman, & Murata, 2012).
Through physical education, students receive opportunities to develop and enhance important lifelong skills in their psychomotor, social, and cognitive abilities. An active lifestyle through participation in physical activity may decrease one's
chances of developing health related concerns
such as obesity and heart disease (Center for
Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2011).
Differences between inclusive and residential schools may impact the types of activities instructors decide to teach to students. Inclusive
physical education may include one student with
a visual impairment along with other typically development peers, while residential settings typically include students with visual impairments as
well as others who may have additional disabilities (e.g. autism, intellectual disability). Another
characteristic of residential programs is that the
physical education program, along with the recreation program, may provide all of the physical
activity opportunities students have throughout
the day.
Since a number of students at residential
schools live on campus, physical activity opportu-
