26/06/2020
Our visit to the Dharan Blind School also involved a Physiotherapy component. We aimed to educate the students on long-term management of secondary visual impairment, and to promote physical activity through modified versions of popular sports and games amongst children, made safer for their participation.
Our team found that many students were experiencing muscle tightness. To solve this, the schoolโs existing resources, such as the morning stretching routine, were refined, and new stretching exercises and tips were added to ensure that the students will gain maximum benefits from each stretching exercise.
Moreover, common sports and games were modified to allow the students with visual impairments to participate safely and have a fulfilling experience. The physical activities included:
Dancing: Students learnt the Macarena and the Chicken dance. Even though they had heard the tune of the dance, this was the first time learning the dance moves and it was widely popular with the students and they enjoyed it thoroughly.
Goalball: A modified version of soccer. A ball containing a ball bearing within it was used as a soccer ball and students must try to score as many points as they can for their teams in a specified time limit
Marco Polo: A modified version of Tag. A โtaggerโ aims to chase and tag other students who are free to run. Whenever the โtaggerโ shouts โMarcoโ, those who are free to run must shout โPoloโ back. A bell was also tied to the ankle of the โtaggerโ.
Obstacle Course: Students were paired up to complete a simple obstacle course made of raffia strings and chairs. This was to emulate a โforeignโ environment for the students to test their navigation skills and communication with their partner.
The students enjoyed themselves very much. We realised that these children were much more independent than we had initially expected. Despite their visual impairments, this did not hinder their ability to have fun or play.
