Content uploaded by Luis Columna
Author content
All content in this area was uploaded by Luis Columna on Apr 26, 2017
Content may be subject to copyright.
Parents’ Perceptions of Physical
Activity for Their Children
with Visual Impairments
Kara Perkins, Luis Columna, Lauren Lieberman,
and JoEllen Bailey
Structured abstract: Introduction: Ongoing communication with parents and
the acknowledgment of their preferences and expectations are crucial to
promote the participation of physical activity by children with visual im-
pairments. Purpose: The study presented here explored parents’ perceptions
of physical activity for their children with visual impairments and explored
barriers to physical activity. Methods: The 11 parents of children with visual
impairments took part in one-on-one semistructured interviews that were
transcribed and then analyzed through a constant comparative analysis.
Results: Three themes emerged from the analysis of the data: the holistic
benefits of physical activity, barriers to physical activity, and solutions to
physical activity. Discussion: The results revealed that the parents valued
and had high expectations for physical activity for their children; however,
they believed that there were multiple barriers to overcome. Implications for
practitioners: Adapted physical education and recreational professionals
must include parents in planning and implementing physical education and
physical activity programs. Infusing information about physical activity and
physical education in the professional preparation of teachers of students
with visual impairments is also part of this important solution. Last, pre-
teaching basic foundational skills for movement and sports is important to
ensure the participation of children with visual impairments in physical
education and recreational activities later in life.
Regular participation in physical activity
is required for children with visual im-
pairments (that is, those who are blind or
have low vision) to maintain optimal
health throughout their lives. Youths who
are physically active are much more
likely to be active as adults (Lieberman,
Ponchillia, & Ponchillia, 2013). When
given equal opportunities, children with
visual impairments have the potential to
develop skills and fitness levels compa-
rable to those of their sighted peers
(Blessing, McCrimmon, Stovall, & Wil-
liford, 1993). Physical education set-
tings provide unlimited opportunities to
teach these skills to children with visual
impairments. The opportunities are
available only if the settings maximize
©2013 AFB, All Rights Reserved Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, March-April 2013 131
participation for children who are visu-
ally impaired.
Despite the physical, social, and emo-
tional benefits that arise from being phys-
ically active, children with visual impair-
ments do not have equal opportunities to
participate in physical activities and are
therefore often more sedentary than are
sighted children (Schedlin, Lieberman,
Houston-Wilson, & Cruz, 2012; Shapiro,
Moffett, Lieberman, & Dummer, 2005).
In part, the lack of participation is directly
related to the children’s level of vision
(Stuart, Lieberman, & Hand, 2006). Other
barriers to participation include the lack
of recreational and sports opportunities,
general physical educators’ lack of
knowledge about curricular modifica-
tions, the lack of appropriate facilities,
and the lack of parental knowledge of
physical activity resources (Lieberman,
Houston-Wilson, & Kozub, 2002; Lieber-
man & MacVicar, 2003).
Adapted physical education instructors
are possible solutions and a vital link to
the promotion of physical activity among
children who are visually impaired. These
instructors may assist parents with the
modifications of activities and be active
advocates not only for the children, but
for their families when it comes to phys-
ical activity and available recreational op-
portunities (Chaapel, Columna, Lytle, &
Bailey, 2012). For this reason, these in-
structors should be involved in the Individ-
ualized Education Program (IEP), which is
a contract and blueprint ensuring that the
children, their schools, and their families
are receiving the appropriate education,
guidance, and support that is required to
meet individual and family needs.
To ensure the active participation of
children who are visually impaired,
parental involvement is critical (Columna
et al., 2008; Stuart et al., 2006). There-
fore, parents need to have the skills to
promote and encourage physically active
lifestyles for their children (Columna, Py-
fer, & Senne, 2011). Stuart et al. (2006)
explored the parental values toward and
parents’ perceptions of the barriers to phys-
ical activity for their children with visual
impairments of 25 children with visual im-
pairments and their parents. They found
that the parents felt there were multiple
barriers to physical activity for their chil-
dren. The study conducted by Stuart et al.
(2006) is the only study of parents’ per-
ceptions of physical activity for children
with visual impairments completed in the
United States. Therefore, the purpose of
the study presented here was to answer
the following research questions:
• What are parents’ perceptions of phys-
ical activity for their children with vi-
sual impairments?
• What are parents’ perceptions of the
barriers to physical activity for their
children with visual impairments?
• How can physical educators or other
professionals assist parents in providing
opportunities for their children with vi-
sual impairments?
Methods
PARTICIPANTS
Convenience sampling was used to iden-
tify possible participants for the study
(Creswell, 2003). The selection criteria
required the participants to be parents of
children with visual impairments, aged 3
to 18, to enable general perspectives on
what families deemed important regard-
ing physical activity for school-aged
132 Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, March-April 2013 ©2013 AFB, All Rights Reserved
Table 1
Demographic characteristics of the participants.
Child’s Child’s Level of visual Mother’s Father’s
Participant gender age impairment age age
1 (Mother) Female 12 Legally blind 37 34
2 (Mother) Female 4 Blind 34 34
3 (Mother) Female 18 Legally blind NA NA
4 (Father) Male 9 Blind 42 44
5 (Both parents) Male 12 Blind NA NA
6 (Father) Male 10 Legally blind NA NA
7 (Both parents) Female 3 Blind 33 35
8 (Both parents) Female 12 Blind 50 62
Note: NA � not available.
children. The children needed to have vi-
sual impairments that were significant
enough to receive vision services in school.
We used a local organization of the
association for the blind and visually im-
paired and made inquiries through flyers
that were sent home to parents whose
children fit the criteria. Once permission
was granted by the director to contact
participants, the principal investigator
(the first author) contacted potential can-
didates. Telephone calls were made ex-
plaining the purpose of the study. If fam-
ilies showed an interest in participating,
meetings were arranged to obtain parental
consent and conduct the interviews. Thir-
teen families agreed to participate in the
study; however, 11 parents from 8 fami-
lies were interviewed.
The 11 participants were parents of chil-
dren with visual impairments (see Table 1).
The children of 2 participants had addi-
tional mild disabilities along with their vi-
sual impairments (Participant 3 and 8). Par-
ticipant 3’s child lived at a residential
school at the time of the interview.
DATA COLLECTION
A descriptive qualitative research design
was used for the study. Data were col-
lected in two ways: personal data sheets
with demographic information and semi-
structured interviews (see Box 1). A panel
of four experts, selected because of their
experience in the field of physical activity
and education for children with visual
impairments, was recruited to ensure the
content validity of the interview ques-
tions. Two of the panel members were
adapted physical education professors
with backgrounds in visual impairment,
one was a professor specializing in phys-
ical education pedagogy, and one was a
physical education professor and an ex-
pert on qualitative research. On the basis
of their recommendations, the principal
investigator made changes and redistrib-
uted the instrument to the panel for final
review and approval. Data collection was
completed in accordance with the ethical
standards of the American Psychological
Association and approval by the State
University of New York at Cortland In-
stitutional Review Board.
After receiving written informed con-
sent, the principal investigator conducted
the one-on-one semistructured interviews at
the preferred locations of the participants
(their homes, for example). Each interview
took approximately 60 –90 minutes. Every
©2013 AFB, All Rights Reserved Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, March-April 2013 133
Summary of themes
and subthemes
Holistic benefits of physical activity
Living a healthy lifestyle (1, 2, 4, 5, 7)
Building confidence (1, 2, 3, 5, 7)
Barriers to physical activity
Lack of opportunities for active
participation (all the participants)
Lack of communication (1, 2, 3, 4,
6, 8)
Physical education teachers’ lack of
knowledge of visual impairments (1,
2, 4, 5)
Solutions to physical activity
A need for nontraditional activities
(1, 3, 8)
Reciprocal communication (1, 2, 7, 8)
Emphasis on visual impairments in
teacher preparation programs (2,
4, 5, 7)
Note: The participants who supported
each subtheme are in parentheses.
Box 1
effort was made to help the parents feel
comfortable, such as asking introductory
questions to engage the participants in the
topics. Follow-up probing questions were
asked on the basis of the participants’ re-
sponses (see Box 1). We stopped interview-
ing additional participants once the data sat-
uration point (that is, when no new themes
emerged) was reached (Flick, 1998).
Three of the eight interviews were
conducted with both parents. All the
interviews were recorded via audiotape.
The purpose of taping was to ensure
accuracy, validity of content, and an
analysis of the themes in the individual
interviews.
DATA ANALYSIS
Initially, the principal investigator con-
ducted five interviews with eight parents.
These interviews were transcribed and
analyzed. The analysis required reading
the transcripts numerous times and cod-
ing the data line by line. As open coding
progressed, constant comparative analy-
sis was used to determine whether the
data should be classified separately or
whether they belonged to an existing code
(Creswell, 2003). Codes that were con-
ceptually similar were first categorized
and then gathered into thematic state-
ments, giving fundamental meaning to the
experiences (Patton, 2002; see Box 2). To
corroborate the results, the principal in-
vestigator interviewed three additional
parents. After analyzing all the data, we
found no new results, which indicated
that data saturation was reached. There-
fore, no additional families were inter-
viewed.
Member checking and data analysis by
multiple researchers was conducted to en-
sure the trustworthiness of the data.
Member checking involves sending the
transcripts of an interview back to the
participants to ensure the trustworthiness
of the information. In other words, is what
we wrote down what the participants in-
tended to say? The transcriptions of the
interviews were returned to the participat-
ing parents for member checking to en-
sure that the information was accurate.
Nine of the 11 parents completed the
member checking process. In addition,
transcript data were analyzed by multiple
researchers, first independently of one an-
other; and subsequently together, until a
134 Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, March-April 2013 ©2013 AFB, All Rights Reserved
Sample interview questions
What is your view on physical activity in your child’s life and the importance of physical
activity?
1. How often do you participate in physical activity with your child, and what types of
activities do you do?
2. Describe what your family does on a regular basis that involves recreational physi-
cal activity? How often?
3. Who usually takes part in these activities?
4. Where does recreation involving the whole family or some of the family take place?
In your opinion, what are the barriers your child faces when it comes to participating
equally in physical activity?
1. Is there something that keeps your child from participating in recreational physical
activities? If so, what gets in his or her way?
2. Thinking about your family, is there something that keeps your family from taking
part in recreational physical activities together? If so, what gets in the way?
What are the ways that adapted physical educators, physical educators, and community
personnel could assist in achieving opportunities for your child in the realm of physical
activity?
Box 2
consensus on the themes and subthemes
was reached. We also conducted a
“search for negative cases” by looking for
responses that were counter to or did not
align well with the established major
themes and categories. Last, we consulted
an external reviewer who reviewed the
themes to ensure that they reflected the
purpose of the study and corresponded
with the reaserch questions.
Results
The parents valued the multiple benefits
that can be obtained if their children are
physically active, but they mentioned sev-
eral “roadblocks” that made this task dif-
ficult. Three major themes emerged from
the data: the holistic benefits of physical
activity, barriers to physical activity, and
solutions to physical activity.
THEME 1: HOLISTIC BENEFITS
OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
The participants thought that their chil-
dren should always try to participate in
physical activities regardless of their level
of visual impairment. Subthemes of living
a healthy lifestyle and building confi-
dence emerged from the inquiry.
Living a healthy lifestyle
The participants wanted their children
to learn activities similar to those of
their sighted peers and to the highest
level possible so they could continue to
be physically active throughout life.
Participant 4 stated, “I don’t want him
to be a couch potato sitting there and
just playing video games.” The parents
seemed to believe that if their children
are not active at a young age, they will
©2013 AFB, All Rights Reserved Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, March-April 2013 135
be sedentary adults, resulting in detri-
mental consequences. Participant 5
thought that her son’s visual impair-
ment had deterred his normal physical
growth, but physical activity helped
overcome these delays.
Building confidence
The parents perceived a repertoire of
physical skills to be valuable for their
children’s futures. They seemed to be-
lieve that physical activities may also as-
sist their children in developing essential
social skills that allow them to make new
friends and consequently build their con-
fidence level. They expected their chil-
dren to be “normal” and to do everything
that sighted children are able to do. Par-
ticipant 1 commented, “I always expect
my child to try everything; . . . it is always
surprising to people how much she really
can participate....Not having sight is
really no excuse for not trying.” The par-
ents believed that physical activities and
sports were great outlets to build self-
confidence in their children.
The participants explained that when
their children were successful at an activ-
ity that was hard for them, the children
felt empowered and better about them-
selves. According to the parents, if their
children have the confidence, they will be
able to be physically active on their own.
Despite these benefits, the parents indi-
cated that finding opportunities for phys-
ical activity for their children was a cum-
bersome task.
THEME 2: BARRIERS TO PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY
The parents listed multiple barriers for
their children with visual impairments
when it came to participating in physical
activities. The subthemes that emerged
were the lack of opportunities for active
participation, the lack of communication,
and physical education teachers’ lack of
knowledge of visual impairments.
Lack of opportunities for active
participation
The participants thought that they had to
expend a considerable amount of time
searching for recreational opportunities
for their children with visual impair-
ments. Participant 3 commented, “It’s
hard to find things for them; you just got
to dig and stick to what you know . . .
people don’t tell you a lot of things.”
Even though the parents believed that
more opportunities would assist their
children to be physically active, they
struggled to find programs that met their
children’s needs. They expressed a need
for more communication with physical
education teachers and recreational ex-
perts regarding places and activities for
their children with visual impairments.
Lack of communication with physical
education teachers
The participants noted the lack of com-
munication with physical education
teachers as a possible barrier to their chil-
dren’s physical activity. Participant 8 (a
mother) thought that if she knew what her
child was doing in school, she could give
her more practice opportunities at home,
leading to higher success. Participant 6
indicated, “without communication with
physical educators, parents are unable to
assist their children in practicing skills at
home and are unaware of resources in the
community.” The participants mentioned
that a reason for not knowing where to
find recreational activities for their
136 Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, March-April 2013 ©2013 AFB, All Rights Reserved
families was largely the lack of commu-
nication with physical education teachers.
Physical education teachers’ lack
of knowledge of visual impairments
Most parents explained that their chil-
dren’s physical education teachers
lacked knowledge of how to include
children with visual impairments in
their physical education classes. Partici-
pant 4 stated, “Some of the educators
aren’t equipped;... they are not knowl-
edgeable about his particular impair-
ment.” Participant 5 added, “Teachers are
really used to gearing toward the middle,
average, athletic child.” Multiple partici-
pants also believed that physical educa-
tion teachers were fixed in their routine
and made no effort to make accommoda-
tions and include their children.
The parents believed that physical ed-
ucation teachers may have a preconceived
judgment about their children, assuming
they could not be as successful at physical
activities as other children. Participant 4
thought that these assumptions may actu-
ally be based on the teachers’ own fears
for the children’s safety. Participant 4
stated: “They are more afraid and instead
of educating themselves, they just as-
sume that he’s not going to be able to do
things....”Ascan be seen, there were
several barriers that were pervasive. Al-
though these barriers were profound and
seemingly major, the parents still had
some good ideas for solutions.
THEME 3: SOLUTIONS TO PHYSICAL
ACTIVITY
The need for nontraditional activities
The parents voiced a need for additional
physical education programs in which
their children can participate. Participant
8 stated, “I wish there were more orga-
nized activities with other children with
visual impairments or with children with-
out disabilities, such as skiing with a
sighted guide.” Although the lack of op-
portunities for participation in physical
education was listed by seven of the eight
families as a barrier, the parents stated
that more appropriate opportunities for
physical activity would also benefit their
children. For this reason, they indicated
that physical education programs are a
great venue to expose their children to a
variety of sports and activities. Participant
1 made the following recommendation,
“Do activities in PE [physical education]
that her child could do like goal ball and
beep baseball, which the sighted kids in
her class could easily participate in as
well.” Participant 3 expanded this com-
ment by saying, “Look for opportunities
to make the equipment more... visible,
for instance, a lighted ball or something to
make sound.”
Reciprocal communication
The parents indicated that when links of
communication were available, not only
could parents receive information from
teachers, but parents could share impor-
tant information regarding their children.
Participant 8 stated, “We know what she
does here; we don’t know what she does
there. Tell us what you are doing, how
you are doing it. There has got to be the
communication between the teachers and
the parents.” Participant 1 added, “Reach
out to the parents and bounce ideas off
each other and try to open up a dialogue,
not just introduce yourself and say, ‘I’m
going to be your child’s teacher.’” Ac-
cording to the parents, a reason for the
inadequate communication may be that
©2013 AFB, All Rights Reserved Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, March-April 2013 137
teachers lack both the skills to communi-
cate with parents and the skills to work
with children with visual impairments.
Emphasis on visual impairment
in teacher preparation programs
The participants discussed the importance
of making adaptations and giving precise
and descriptive directions to children with
visual impairments in physical education
instruction. Participant 5 stated, “If the
teachers could learn more about being
specific in their directions of directional-
ity, it would also help in a PE class.” The
parents suggested different methods of
instruction that they perceived as advan-
tageous. Participants 2 and 7 believed that
proximity and one-on-one instruction
time would be beneficial. Participant 5
was adamant that “preteaching” (that is,
providing descriptions of the activities
and extra practice on the specific skills
that would be included in upcoming phys-
ical education units) was essential for the
success of her son. This mother, who is a
special education teacher, recommended:
“I think preteaching one on one is a great
thing. I think that it is paramount to help-
ing a child with a visual impairment be
able to perform in a gym [physical edu-
cation] class.”
The participants thought that educat-
ing physical education teachers with
specialized instructions related to teach-
ing children with visual impairments
would be beneficial to their children in
community sports activities. According
to them, this specialized knowledge can
be gained in teacher preparation pro-
grams. Participant 4 suggested “. . .
more instruction to better equip our fu-
ture educators.”
Discussion
The parents who participated in the study
presented here wanted their children to be
physically active; however, the children’s
visual impairments often created exces-
sive barriers. The participants provided
multiple solutions to assist professionals
in including their children. Overall, they
believed that professionals in schools and
in the community are often unaware of
how to adapt physical activities for chil-
dren with visual impairments. These find-
ings are similar to those of Conroy (2012)
and Lieberman et al. (2002), who found
that physical education teachers thought
that they did not have the experience or
knowledge to teach children with visual
impairments. This lack of knowledge of-
ten leads to fear of injury and low expec-
tations for children with visual impair-
ments in physical activities. Education for
future physical education professionals
would be a solution to making more op-
portunities for physical activity for chil-
dren with visual impairments. In gen-
eral, the participants believed that
physical education teachers need to put
more effort into making accommoda-
tions for including all children in phys-
ical education classes and accessible
recreational programs.
All individuals need to have access to
recreation. If children who are visually
impaired do not have the opportunity to
experience physical activities, they will
not know if they would enjoy them.
Therefore, if these students are given a
wide range of activities to try during
physical education, they may find activi-
ties they will enjoy for lifelong fitness.
Similar to An and Goodwin’s (2007)
and Columna et al.’s (2011) results, the
138 Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, March-April 2013 ©2013 AFB, All Rights Reserved
participants in the current study wanted
their children to be involved in physical
activities at an early age. They seemed to
appreciate and understand the health ben-
efits of physical activity. If children with
visual impairments are physically fit, they
may be more likely to be involved in
recreational and sport opportunities,
which, in turn, may open opportunities to
meet new friends.
Social interaction skills are the con-
cepts and skills that people use to interact
with one another (Sapp & Hatlen, 2010).
Children’s social skills can be enhanced
through active participation in recre-
ational physical activities. Shapiro et al.
(2005) and Goodwin, Lieberman, John-
ston, and Leo (2011) reported that chil-
dren with visual impairments felt more
competent and had an increased sense of
social acceptance after attending a spe-
cialized sports summer camp. The parents
in our study expressed the preference for
their children to be active in recreational
physical activities with same-age peers.
One parent stated that her child was as-
sisted by other children in a physical ac-
tivity group, which helped increase her
social skills. However, the parents indi-
cated that their children participated in
recreational activities with family mem-
bers, mainly their mothers. The fact that
the participants’ children tend to be pri-
marily physically active with their parents
is a step backward in promoting social-
ization (Lieberman & MacVicar, 2003).
Professionals should recognize that it is
important to teach children with visual
impairments to be independent, gradually
decreasing their dependence on their par-
ents. The parents believed that physical
activity provides an opportunity to build
their children’s confidence to the extent
that they can decide in which activities
they would like to be involved. This
decision-making process is considered
self-determination (Sapp & Hatlen,
2010). For children to accomplish this
task, they need to develop confidence in
their own abilities through successful ex-
periences.
Professionals who work with individu-
als with visual impairments and their
families should be cognizant of the indi-
vidual characteristics of families. If there
are programs in the community, families
need a mechanism to learn about them
(Columna et al., 2011). Communication is
essential for the successful inclusion in
physical education and activity programs
(Chaapel et al., 2012; Conroy, 2012).
Positive and open communication would
benefit not only the teachers and parents,
but, what is most important, the children
with disabilities (An & Goodwin, 2007;
Columna et al., 2008). In the findings of
our study, which agree with those of An
and Goodwin (2007), the parents believed
that the lack of communication was a
barrier for their children with visual im-
pairments. The parents did not know
what their children were learning in
physical education and could not help
them practice at home. Also, they had
ideas they wanted to share with the
physical education teachers, but often
did not share them or, if they did, the
physical education teachers ignored
their suggestions.
Collaborative work among profession-
als and the inclusion of parents when ed-
ucating children with visual impairments
must be an integral part of the IEP process
(Columna et al., 2008). If there is no
communication, then it may not be pos-
sible for children to generalize the content
©2013 AFB, All Rights Reserved Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, March-April 2013 139
they learned at school into their involve-
ment in the community. Facilitating com-
munication related to physical education
and recreation in the IEP process would
be helpful to parents and teachers alike.
The IEP meeting can be an excellent
venue for parents to be heard for the ex-
change of information between teachers
and parents and to enhance collaboration
and advocacy strategies. In some in-
stances, however, the adapted physical
education teachers do not attend the IEP
meetings (Chaapel et al., 2012). Atten-
dance at IEP meetings would allow
adapted physical education teachers to
exchange information with all members
of the team, but most important, with the
parents.
Communication regarding the kinds of
adaptations that could occur in the school
setting to involve students more in phys-
ical education and subsequently commu-
nity recreation would alleviate frustra-
tions experienced by parents. If physical
education teachers collaborated with
teachers of students with visual impair-
ments and orientation and mobility in-
structors, these professionals might assist
them in incorporating their curriculum
into everyday lessons and activities. This
team of professionals can determine ad-
aptations and specific needs for the chil-
dren, such as preteaching time (Conroy,
2012).
One of the themes that emerged from
the study was the dire need for preteach-
ing for children with visual impairments.
Preteaching can help children overcome
many of the barriers found in our study
(Conroy, 2012). The parents agreed that
their children needed more practice time
(that is, preteaching). Stuart et al. (2006)
found that practice was reported as a so-
lution for individuals with visual impair-
ments to participate in physical activities,
and Sapp and Hatlen (2010) stated that
children with visual impairments need
preteaching, teaching, and reteaching to
obtain the skills of the expanded core
curriculum. Although this may be infor-
mation that is “new” to the field of phys-
ical education, it is not new to the field of
visual impairment or special education in
general.
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
Since this was a nonprobability conve-
nience sample and this qualitative re-
search involved a small sample of 8 chil-
dren and 11 parents, the transferability of
the results to the perceptions of other par-
ents of children with visual impairments
may be limited. Furthermore, the results
may not be representative of the entire
population because most participants at
the time of the interviews lived in central
New York. Another limitation of the
study may be that 2 of the participants’
children had mild disabilities along with
visual impairments. The children’s other
disabilities could have exacerbated barri-
ers or created additional challenges for
the parents.
Practical applications
and conclusion
The study found that the parents per-
ceived multiple barriers to physical activ-
ity for their children with visual impair-
ments. The findings suggest that more
education on visual impairment and spe-
cific instructional techniques and mod-
ifications must be implemented in un-
dergraduate courses to prepare future
physical education teachers better. This
training can be accomplished by providing
140 Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, March-April 2013 ©2013 AFB, All Rights Reserved
additional physical activity practicum ex-
periences with children with visual im-
pairments. Four excellent resources that
can be shared with undergraduates, in-
service teachers, and visual specialists are
the book by Lieberman, Ponchillia, &
Ponchillia (2013); the physical education
website of the American Printing House
for the Blind, APH.org; the Camp
Abilities website, www.campabilities.
org; and the website of the United
States Association for Blind Athletes,
USABA.org, which provides videos
and modifications for sports.
In addition, future physical education
teachers should be given the opportunities
to work in collaboration with other pro-
fessionals, such as teachers of students
with visual impairments and orientation
and mobility instructors (Lieberman,
Ponchillia, & Ponchillia, 2013), and what
is most important, current and future
teachers must be encouraged to collabo-
rate and communicate with parents of
children with disabilities (Chaapel et al.,
2012; Columna et al., 2008). As the re-
sults of this study demonstrated, the
lack of communication with families af-
fects the participation in physical activ-
ity of children with visual impairments.
Columna, Senne, and Lytle (2009) pro-
vided several strategies that profession-
als can use when trying to communicate
with families. Even though that article
targeted Hispanic families, many of the
strategies are applicable to any cultural
group.
Overall, the parents in the study valued
physical activity and had high expecta-
tions for their children. The findings
suggest that professionals should consider
including parents in planning and imple-
menting opportunities for physical activ-
ity. As a result, together they can alleviate
some of the barriers that children with
visual impairments face when partaking
in physical activities.
References
An, J., & Goodwin, D. (2007). Physical edu-
cation for students with spina bifida: Moth-
ers’ perspectives. Adapted Physical Activ-
ity Quarterly, 24, 38 –58.
Blessing, D. L., McCrimmon, D., Stovall, J.,
& Williford, H. N. (1993). The effects of
regular exercise programs for visually im-
paired and sighted schoolchildren. Journal
of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 87(2),
50 –52.
Chaapel, H., Columna, L., Lytle, R., & Bai-
ley, J. (2012). Parental expectations about
adapted physical education services. Jour-
nal of Special Education. Retrieved from
http://sed.sagepub.com/content/early/
2012/05/29/0022466912447661.full.pdf.
Columna, L., Pyfer, J., & Senne, T. A. (2011).
Physical recreation among immigrant His-
panic families with children with disabili-
ties. Journal of Therapeutic Recreation,
45, 214–233.
Columna, L., Pyfer, J., Senne, T. A., Velez,
L., Bridenthrall, N., & Canabal, M. Y.
(2008). Parental expectations of adapted
physical educators: A Hispanic perspec-
tive. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly,
25, 228–246.
Columna, L., Senne, T. A., & Lytle, R.
(2009). Communicating with Hispanic par-
ents of children with and without disabili-
ties. Journal of Physical Education, Rec-
reation, & Dance, 80(4), 48 –54.
Conroy, P. (2012). Supporting students with
visual impairments in physical education.
Insight: Research and Practice in Visual
Impairment and Blindness, 5(1), 3–10.
Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design: Quali-
tative, quantitative, and mixed methods ap-
proaches (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Flick, U. (1998). An introduction to qualita-
tive research. London: Sage.
Goodwin, D., Lieberman, L. J., Johnston, K.,
& Leo, J. (2011). Connecting through
©2013 AFB, All Rights Reserved Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, March-April 2013 141
summer camp: Youth with visual impair-
ments find a sense of community. Adapted
Physical Activity Quarterly, 28, 44 –50.
Lieberman, L. J., Houston-Wilson, C., & Ko-
zub, F. M. (2002). Perceived barriers to
including students with visual impairments
in general physical education. Adapted
Physical Activity Quarterly, 19, 364–377.
Lieberman, L. J., & MacVicar, J. M. (2003).
Play and recreational habits of youths who
are deaf-blind. Journal of Visual Impair-
ment & Blindness, 97, 755–768.
Lieberman, L. J., Ponchillia, P., & Ponchillia,
S. (2013). Physical education and sport for
individuals with visual impairments or
deaf-blindness: Foundations of instruction.
New York: American Foundation of the
Blind.
Patton, M. Q. (2002). Qualitative research
and evaluation methods. Thousand Oaks,
CA: Sage.
Sapp, W., & Hatlen, P. (2010). The expanded
core curriculum: Where we have been,
where we are going, and how we can get
there. Journal of Visual Impairment &
Blindness, 104, 338–348.
Schedlin, H., Lieberman, L. J., Houston-
Wilson, C., & Cruz, L. (2012). Academic
learning time in physical education of chil-
dren with visual impairments: An analysis
of two students. Insight: Research and
Practice in Visual Impairment and Blind-
ness, 5(1), 11–22.
Shapiro, D. R., Moffett, A., Lieberman, L. J.,
& Dummer, G. M. (2005). Perceived com-
petence of children with visual impair-
ments. Journal of Visual Impairment &
Blindness, 99, 15–25.
Stuart, M. E., Lieberman, L. J., & Hand, K. E.
(2006). Beliefs about physical activity
among children who are visually impaired
and their parents. Journal of Visual Impair-
ment & Blindness, 100, 223–234.
Kara Perkins, M.S.Ed., graduate alumna, State
University of New York at Cortland, P.O. Box
2000, Cortland, NY 13045; e-mail: kara.
perkins@cortland.edu. Luis Columna, Ph.D.,
associate professor, Department of Exercise Sci-
ence, School of Education, Syracuse University,
820 Comstock Avenue, Women’s Building, Room
201, Syracuse, NY 13244; e-mail: lcolumna@
syr.edu. Lauren Lieberman, Ph.D., director of
camp abilities and distinguished service provider,
Department of Kinesiology, Sport Studies, and
Physical Education, College at Brockport, State
University of New York, Brockport, NY 14420;
e-mail: llieberm@brockport.edu. JoEllen
Bailey, Ph.D., associate professor, Department of
Physical Education, State University of New York
at Cortland, Cortland, NY 13045; e-mail:
joellen.bailey@cortland.edu.
142 Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, March-April 2013 ©2013 AFB, All Rights Reserved
Copyright of Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness is the property of American Foundation for the Blind
and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright
holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.
