Physical assessment for athletes with visual impairments: Perspectives based on sonorous and tactile stimuli

Abstract

Visual impairment is one of the disabilities that is eligible within the Paralympic system to participate in competitions in specific sports modalities. Competitiveness has grown over the years and athletes are increasingly looking for strategies to maximize their performance, especially related to physical capabilities important for specific tasks in each competition sport. In the direction of this aspect, evaluation of the physical performance of athletes with visual impairment is a relevant factor, mainly because the lack of vision can cause some insecurities when carrying out tests involving high-intensity tasks, which are a part of sports for athletes with visual impairment. In this sense, the current article presents some strategies for adapting physical tests and their prospective applications in athletes with visual impairment, as well as some paths of investigation that can be followed by adaptations based on sound and tactile stimuli, or both together.