Monday December 4th 2023 – Press Release
Vision Sports Ireland are proud to announce the launch of a Vision Impaired Physical Education Teaching Guide. The Guide has been developed to give readers 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; ensuring students with a vision impairment have equal access to participate in physical education activities.
At a recent launch event at St. Brendan’s college Killarney, special guests in attendance to officially launch the resource included Kerry Footballer, All Star, Player of the Year 2023, and PE Teacher David Clifford, Senator Martin Conway and student Michael O’Brien.
Sean Poland, Education and Training Coordinator with Vision Sports Ireland, stated “We believe in the power of physical activity and its ability to transform lives, 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 is a welcome addition to the offerings from Vision Sports Ireland, following 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.
Kerry Footballer, All Star, Player of the Year 2023, and PE Teacher at St. Brendan’s college Killarney, David Clifford, commented on the launch “I was thrilled to lend my voice to the launch of such a vital resource. 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 Irelands new Learning Management System and our Vision Impaired PE pack which includes an array of adapted equipment all available on www.visionsports.ie. We are excited about the positive impact this resource will have on the lives of students with a vision impairment, this is a significant milestone in our journey towards a more inclusive and diverse society.
Vision Impaired Physical Education Teaching Guide
For more information contact Sean Poland, Education and Training Coordinator, Vision Sports Ireland on sean.poland@visionsports.ie.