[Sportsandrec] Statistics on Fitness in Blind Community

[Ashley Bramlett]

Tina,
I don't think people  answered this question as its not been studied.
I think this would make a  great research study.
I'll try to, but based on anecdotal evidence. I've been to meetings of the 
two consumer groups, ACB and NFB; I also have been to
a state rehab center for the blind.

I'm not sure if you were asking for a report or curiousity. If you need it 
for a report, I'd suggest checking AFB www.afb.org
and USABA www.usaba.org. People that founded Camp Ability, a sports camp for 
blind youth, may be a good resource. I think Lauren Lieberman is one contact 
for it.
If you interview Lauren, she could provide some good insights, but may or 
may not have stats. Her focus was with children and teens.
Camp Ability is in MD. Now, if only they had a camp for adults! They started 
this wonderful little camp a few years after I graduated high school.

Its true that Americans are obese or overweight. Is
it the same in the blind community? No. We have a lower rate of fitness and
higher rate of obesity in the blind community than in the general 
population.
Even USABA says this on their website. It does not have stats but it does 
say blind/vi people are left out of PE and are less likely to engage in 
fitness.

I will state what I observed; and if  anyone will feel offended, skip this 
part. But its sadly the truth; we may talk like we can do anything, but 
people do not practice what they preach. In NFB, I see overweight people 
more. I cannot actually see it. But my father does. Know what one of the 
first things he said after attending    our firste state
convention? "Many people look unhealthy and overweight here. An average 
adult should have more muscle tone."

Tina, my estimated statistic for the blind fit community is 20 percent.
So 80 percent are inactive.
As I asked my chapter members and those I passed in the last state 
convention, what do you do for fitness? Often the answer is nothing. No one 
plays a blindness sport and it would be nice if there were interest in it.
We can do things in integrated settings, but I'm saying it would be nice if 
enough people wanted to form a blind sports team or just have a regular 
group to do something; like a blind fitness club. This way as a group, 
adaptations could be made as we went on outings and guides who led the group 
would be more descriptive since no one could see well. We have so many 
school gyms, community centers, and outdoor rivers and trails to make this 
happen. We could hire an instructor to lead an aerobics class or something, 
then other times go rock climbing, rafting, canoeing, and tandem biking. We 
would have professional guidance to do this as  anyone would doing it for 
the first time though. However, I would hope the sighted instructors would 
be willing to accommodate us as a group; I think they would, where as if you 
show up alone in a group of sighted people, the course is structured for 
sighted people with visual demonstration.
Stuff like that, just an idea; never will happen though.

I estimate this 80 percent inactive factor because I can meet maybe seven to 
ten people who do nothing for every one or two who does.

We have barriers such as lack of transportation, inaccessible fitness 
equipment with their visual screens, visually driven classes, and attitudes 
of fitness staff.
I do belong to a gym, but it would cost a lot to go every day; it cost $10 
round trip, five dollars each way via paratransit.
They recently removed the startrack treadmills
which I am most comfortable with as I can see the screen better and see the 
green start button. So I'll have to get use to the new model which does have 
a start and stop button that I can see, just will have to remember where 
they are; or better yet, maybe they will get new strack models.

To be active, someone needs to show us how to do the moves. Unfortunately, 
this rarely happens in PE class as kids are young learning them at age 
appropriate times.
In fitness classes, I saw that generally they move too fast for explanation 
and even if they do explain moves, its usually not sufficient to get it 
down. Fitness instructors cannot show you everything as they have to lead 
their class.

I've thought about workout videos. But, they also demonstrate a lot. I don't 
see how a blind person could learn and follow these various workout 
programs.
If anyone found some that seem more accessible and only require someone to 
show you the moves once or twice, let me know.

Another barrier is cost. Gyms cost money and so does personal equipment at 
home. I was fortunate to have a personal trainer, but not everyone can 
afford it; only reason I could was because I earned enough in a government 
internship to do so.
I am guessing a lot of the barrier is just lack of knowledge; someone needs 
supervised practice to perfect form. I'm not saying you have to pay a 
personal trainer, but you do need someone skilled in proper form to teach 
you moves.
I'd like to learn more moves, particularly back exercises since I know how 
to do abs, but need the back too so I do not get an imbalance.
But at this point, I cannot afford a trainer.


I'm hopeful as more education and out reach is done by various blindness 
organizations like USABA
that more blind people can and will become active.
Ashley
-----Original Message----- 
From: Tina Hansen
Sent: Sunday, August 05, 2012 4:27 PM
To: sportsandrec at nfbnet.org
Subject: [Sportsandrec] Statistics on Fitness in Blind Community

Does anyone out there have any statitistics on fitness within the blind 
community. I know that the general population is not as fit as they could 
be. Is it similar in the blind community? Thanks.
_______________________________________________
Sportsandrec mailing list
Sportsandrec at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/sportsandrec_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for 
Sportsandrec:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/sportsandrec_nfbnet.org/bookwormahb%40earthlink.net