Physical activity is important for everyone’s health and wellbeing, however, many visually impaired people find it difficult for doing sports because of their sight loss.
Student Affairs Office recruited 37 undergraduate students and partnered with 2 NGOs (Running In The Dark and Hong Kong Blind Sports Federation) to provide support for 240 visually impaired people to do sports during September 2022 to March 2023. This programme also enabled HKMU students to learn from a new perspective, enhance their understanding of the needs and difficulties visually impaired people face in their daily lives, thus developing empathy and the spirit of helping others.
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With the use of audio description and sighted guide techniques, student leaders became peers for people with visual impairement. They assisted them to engage in a variety of sports, such as playing darts, doing yoga, working out at the gym and running.
Over 250 students and staff from HKMU set off on the second HKMU Campus Run in Novemner 2022, bringing positive energy to the campus. Led by White Cane student leaders, four persons with visual impairment also participated in and finished the run, promoting an inclusive society and healthy living in the HKMU community.
Weekly darts training sessions were organized from November 2022 till March 2023. Visually impaired athletes were excited to meet HKMKU students on every Monday, they also identified specific students to become their regular training partners.
Visually imparied people were invited to join the fitness training in HKMU. Students demonostrated difffernt stretching exercises for their training partners to improve their flexibility and shared easy postures that they could do it alone. It was the first time for some of the visually impaired people to exerise at the gym, they enjoyed working out with HKMU students, felt grateful and impressed to try different fitness equipment.
White Cane student leaders gave clear and precise instructions of warm-up poses, yoga poses and breathing exercises for visually imparied people to improve their breathing, sitting and standing postures, for the overall benefits of their balance, stability, confidence and strength.
During the tournament, White Cane student leaders became peers for visual imparied atheles. They helped the athletes to find the right dart-throwing direction by providing audio descriptions. All participants had a wonderful time and made precious friendships with each other through close collaboration in the games.
