Optimizing Physical Activity Training For Blind And Low-vision Individuals Through Structured Verbal Guidance

BACKGROUND: Visual demonstrations of motor tasks play a critical role in physical activity training, as visual perception greatly influences the modeling process, thereby facilitating motor skill acquisition. However, for blind and low-vision (BLV) individuals, the absence of visual input presents unique challenges in learning and controlling body movements. PURPOSE: This study aimed to develop and evaluate verbal instructions tailored for BLV individuals, while also providing a structured instructional framework to support healthcare providers and exercise professionals. METHODS: We developed verbal instructions to guide muscle-strengthening exercises for BLV adults, using the BESS (Body, Effort, Shape, Space) framework from Laban motion analysis. To evaluate the efficacy of these instructions, we conducted an accessible online survey and performed a mixed logistic regression analysis. The analysis included factors such as BESS attributes and different types of verbal cues (i.e., Action, Correction, Location, Body Awareness, Imagery, and Timing), with age as a covariate. The dependent variables were perceived levels of physical task execution and cognitive load, each rated on a 4-point Likert scale. RESULTS: A total of 363 respondents submitted responses, with data from 277 individuals included in the analysis following data cleansing. The majority of respondents were female (n = 208, 75.1%), with an average age of 36.8 years (SD = 12.48). Perceived physical task execution and cognitive load were strongly correlated with the number of BESS attributes (r = 0.5, p < .01) and verbal cues (r = 0.8, p < .001). Notably, the Body attribute, Correction cue, Location cue, and Body awareness cue had statistically significant main effects on physical task execution. Additionally, the length of the verbal instructions did not significantly influence cognitive load. CONCLUSION: Given the absence of standardized guidelines for physical activity training tailored to BLV individuals, the study’s findings are expected to assist healthcare providers and exercise professionals in creating effective speech-based instructions using the proposed Auditory Instruction Design (AID) Framework. Scientifically designed verbal guidance can enhance the performance of BLV individuals in physical activity training. Supported by: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Campus Research Support Program