Visual Impairments and Factors Affecting Participation in Motor and Sports Activities: A Systematic Review

Resumen

Physical activity practiced during childhood and adolescence, in addition to developing young people's physical abilities, supports their cognitive and psychological development. However, children and young people with visual impairments often encounter barriers to participation. This paper documents a systematic review of the literature on the topic, conducted using a structured research framework and documented according to accredited guidelines. The first phase of the study led to the extraction of 45,156 articles, published over the last ten years, taken from databases relevant to the investigated sector (EBSCO, ERIC, Scopus, Web of Science); the subsequent steps progressively led to the selection of the most relevant articles on which the research could be based (n=31). The categorization then highlighted how children and young people with visual impairment perceive the benefits they can derive from physical and sporting activity, but frequently experience limited experiences due to conditioning deriving from environmental, social and, although to a lesser extent, personal contextual barriers. The study strongly highlights the importance of the role and responsibility of teachers and instructors, on the one hand, in formulating structurally appropriate and calibrated proposals that take into account the specific needs of participants and, on the other, in adopting and promoting inclusive attitudes.