Vision Sports Ireland has launched a Vision Impaired Physical Education Teaching Guide, developed to give teachers the skills and confidence to teach students who are blind or vision impaired by equipping them with knowledge, skills, and considerations to make PE more inclusive for all.

To key to making inclusion a natural default is to make it so from an early age and this is a great initiative along that path.

“We believe in the power of physical activity and its ability to transform lives,” said Sean Poland, Education and Training Coordinator with Vision Sports Ireland.

“This vision was shared with our expert steering group who have a vast wealth of knowledge and years of experience in the area of Inclusive Physical Education.”

“We came together to develop this resource to address the gap in Physical Education levels of children with a vision impairment in Ireland, where only 1 in 3 children with a vision impairment are engaging in the recommended amount of PE time in school.”

“I believe this resource will help equip PE teachers across the country with useful techniques and considerations for providing an optimum experience for students with a vision impairment in their class. This guide is a testament to our commitment to breaking down barriers and providing meaningful opportunities for everyone to engage in physical activity.”

The PE resource follows on from the Vision Impaired Rugby Coaching Guide which was launched in May 2023. This toolkit marks a culmination of work from the PE Steering Group, made up of subject matter experts.

“I was thrilled to lend my voice to the launch of such a vital resource,” said Kerry Footballer, All Star, Player of the Year 2023, and PE Teacher at St. Brendan’s college Killarney, David Clifford.

“As a PE teacher myself, I know the importance of having such toolkits available and the impact it will have on students with vision impairments across the country.”

“Physical Education is a crucial part of each student’s development and learning, this resource will aid PE teachers to ensure all students get the same opportunities to partake in PE lessons. I would encourage all PE teachers to download this resource, it is an excellent toolkit to be added to any teacher’s library.”

This guide will work in tandem with the Vision Sports Ireland training and education framework which already incorporates Vision Sports Awareness Training delivered both online and through Vision Ireland’s new Learning Management System and the Vision Impaired PE pack which includes an array of adapted equipment all available on www.visionsports.ie.