ABSTRACT

Physical activity (PA) is important for fitness and psychological health, and a way for young people to make friends and socialise. Young people with vision impairment (VI) are, however, are less likely to engage in PA. A range of personal, social, and environmental barriers prevent equitable participation for young people with VI. There is a dearth of research focused on the experiences of young people with VI and their participation in PA in Australia. Using the Physical Activity Barriers Questionnaire for children with Visual Impairments (PABQ-VI), this study identified barriers to PA from the perspectives of school-aged Australians with VI. Results demonstrated that despite holding positive views about PA and being motivated to be physically active, participants experienced many of the same barriers and lack of opportunities reported by children with VI around the world. These experiences place limits on the development of motor skills and impact self-confidence. Despite the swathe of legislation designed to protect the rights of people with disability, the findings suggest that there is much work to be done to create inclusive opportunities for youth with VI (particularly girls) to access PA and sport in Australian schools and communities.

摘要

体力活动 (PA) 对于健身和心理健康非常重要，也是年轻人结交朋友和社交的一种方式。然而，患有视力障碍 (VI) 的年轻人不太可能参与 PA。一系列个人、社会和环境障碍阻碍了患有 VI 的年轻人的公平参与。在澳大利亚，缺乏针对患有 VI 的年轻人的经历及其参与 PA 的研究。使用针对视力障碍儿童的身体活动障碍问卷(PABQ-VI)，这项研究从患有 VI 的澳大利亚学龄人的角度确定了 PA 的障碍。结果表明，尽管参与者对 PA 持有积极看法并积极参加体育活动，但参与者仍遇到了许多与世界各地 VI 儿童报告的相同的障碍和缺乏机会。这些经历限制了运动技能的发展并影响自信心。尽管制定了一系列旨在保护残疾人权利的立法，但调查结果表明，要为患有视力障碍的青少年（特别是女孩）创造在澳大利亚学校和社区获得 PA 和体育活动的包容性机会，还有很多工作要做。