Vision-impaired individuals range from having complete blindness to lowered levels of visual acuity. Table tennis balls for the vision-impaired allow players of all levels access to physical activity previously inaccessible. Balls can be used during team sports or as part of exercise programs that encourage a healthier lifestyle.
Equipment
Table tennis balls are made out of foam to prevent injury to the visually-impaired individual. As far as size is concerned, the balls are larger than standard-size tennis balls. Known as a "sound ball," the ball's center contains ball bearings, which cause the ball to rattle when moving, thereby leaving a sound trail the player can follow. Table tennis rackets are smaller than standard-sized rackets and have shorter grips.
Purposes
Table tennis balls for the vision-impaired can help affected individuals become acclimated to the surrounding environment. Being able to hear the ball helps to prepare properly for body movements involving hitting, gripping the racket, kicking or throwing the ball around. This heightened sound awareness is especially true while playing some versions of table tennis for visually impaired individuals where no ball bouncing is allowed. The balls encourage playing team sports such as table tennis. Being able to hear the ball can provide comfort and increased self-confidence for the vision-impaired player. For children new to game-playing, table tennis provides a small playing area that can be easier to enjoy than larger playing fields and can increase involvement, according to BlindChildren.org.
Categories
Different categories of vision impairment exist to equalize playing abilities and ensure a fair competition. Developed by the International Blind Sports Association, the sight classification system is based upon visual perception. Category B1 involves total blindness where no light perception is perceived at all and no objection recognition exists at any distance or direction. Individuals falling in category B2 have a vision field of five degrees and the ability to recognize contours or objects up to visual acuity of 20/60. Individuals falling withing category B3 have a vision field ranging from 5-20 degrees and vision acuity between 2/60 to 6/60.
Training
In order to use table tennis balls, visually-impaired individuals must become accustomed to the sound and feel. Familiarity can help improve judgment regarding the ball's location, height and speed. Have the individual feel the ball to become acquainted with its size and texture, and shake it to hear its sound. Doing this acquaintance exercise in a quiet area will give the individual the best chance to hear the ball without any distractions. Another training exercise might be to use bouncing to differentiate levels of vision. For instance, having three bounces for completely blind players and two bounces for visually impaired individuals can help individuals become better acclimated to involved games.
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