Outdoor recreation experiences in youth with visual impairments: a qualitative inquiry

ABSTRACT

Outdoor recreation has many benefits for youth. Benefits may be more profound in youth with visual impairments as the involvement in outdoor recreation activities provides improved self-determination and socialization. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to comprehend each participant’s lived outdoor recreation experiences, and to illuminate and show specific meanings that participants assign to their lived experiences. Sixteen youth between the ages of 9–19 years with visual impairments kept an outdoor recreation log for 30 days and then were interviewed about their outdoor recreation experiences in their lives. Data from the logs and the interviews were analyzed by three experts in the field and themes, subthemes, and quotes were established. Youth with visual impairment do participate in a variety of outdoor recreation experiences. The findings revealed three main themes of barriers, benefits, and facilitators. The results indicate that outdoor recreation can be very beneficial and adapted support and special programming are necessary for participants to gain benefits from outdoor recreation experiences.

KEYWORDS:

• Key terms
• blind
• adapted physical activity
• adapted physical education
• families
• adolescents
• phenomenological

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lauren J. Lieberman

Lauren J. Lieberman Ph.D. is a Distinguished Service Professor at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Brockport in adapted physical education. She started her career teaching at The Perkins School for the Blind in the Deafblind program. She is co-director of The Institute on Movement Studies for Individuals with Visual Impairments or Deafblindness (IMSVI)(See www.brockport.edu/IMSVI) . She is the founder and director of Camp Abilities: An educational sports camp for children with visual impairments. Camp Abilities has been replicated in 20 states and eight countries. (www.campabilities.org and www.campabilitiesworld.com) She has published over 145 peer-reviewed articles and 20 books.

Pamela Haibach-Beach

Dr. Pamela Haibach-Beach is a Professor of Motor Behavior in the Department of Kinesiology and a Co-Director of the Institute on Movement Studies for Individuals with Visual Impairments (IMSVI). Recently, IMSVI was awarded the Corrine Kirchner National Research award from the American Foundation for the Blind. Pamela regularly publishes and presents internationally on her research in motor behavior in individuals with sensory impairments. She has also published Gross Motor Development Curriculum: For Children with Visual Impairment and two editions of the widely adopted undergraduate textbook Motor Learning and Development. Pamela also produces educational and training videos for youth with sensory impairments.

Melanie Perreault

Dr. Melanie Perreault is an Associate Professor of Motor Behavior and Coordinator for the Kinesiology program and practicum in the Department of Kinesiology, Sport Studies, and Physical Education at SUNY Brockport. She is also the Communications Director for the Institute of Movement Studies for Individuals with Visual Impairments or Deafblindness. Her main areas of research focus on motor development in children with and without sensory impairments. Dr. Perreault publishes and presents regularly on her research both nationally and internationally.

Alex Stribing

Dr. Alex Stribing is a Post-Doctoral fellow at the University of South Carolina. She earned her undergraduate and master’s degree from The State University of New York at Brockport in Adapted Physical Education. She earned her Ph.D. in Motor Behavior and Adapted Physical Education at the University of South Carolina. She is assistant director of Camp Abilities in Brockport. Her research area is motor development and metaperceptions of children with visual impairments.