Hobbies And Interests
Futsal
Futsal is a form of indoor soccer that is easily modified to accommodate blind players. Each team has five players in the field and a sighted goalie. The goalie acts both as keeper and as a guide for her players. The ball has ball-bearings inside it so it is constantly making a sound for players to track it. The field is also modified with items called kickboards, which act as a barrier and a guide to the field. Players should wear padded head guards or blindfolds to protect themselves, as well as the standard shin guards. A nurse or physical therapist should be kept on-site, as well, in the event of an injury or other emergency.
Board Games
Checkers is very easily adaptable to the needs of the visually impaired. Cover the black squares with felt or Velcro, then attach a circle of the same material on the black pieces. This makes the game easy to play and inexpensive to adapt. Also most games can be easily adapted using just Dymo tape or a Braille writer. Just make sure it doesn’t obstruct anything or make the game more difficult to play. There are Braille dice, but blind players can easily use regular embossed or raised dice. If you don’t have the tools necessary to convert the games yourself, adapted versions can be purchased.
Playing Cards
Playing cards are adapted by using a two-symbol system and embossing the suits and numbers in Braille; for example, "9d" is the 9 of diamonds. This teaches the child or player that the number comes first in cards. In UNO you can use the number then the first letter of the color; for example, "5b" would be a blue five. Alternatively, you can purchase converted cards for the blind.