Fitness professionals are being invited to a free online workshop to gain practical guidance on how to successfully engage people with sight loss into their physical activity sessions. 

There is a choice of two 90-minute workshops taking place on Saturday 23 October at 2 pm and Friday 29 October at 1 pm. The workshops will be delivered by Step Change Studios. The award-winning dance company is committed to making dance accessible for everyone. Supporting the workshops will be one of the company’s visually impaired students, who will be sharing her lived experience.

Fitness professionals can register for one of the workshops on Eventbrite.

The sessions directly respond to research that Step Change Studios undertook among 128 fitness professionals in partnership with Metro Blind Sport. Their answers revealed a clear lack of inclusive training and very low confidence in supporting people with sight loss in their physical activities. The research also showed a desire among fitness professionals to upskill in order to be able to be more inclusive.

Rashmi Becker MBE, Founder of Step Change Studios said:

I have seen first-hand the physical, mental and social transformation among disabled people when they’re introduced to physical activity. The aim of our workshops is to encourage fitpros to reflect on their current practice and to improve insight, skills and confidence to support people with sight loss in their sessions

In the UK, almost 2 million people are living with sight loss and every day 250 people begin to lose their sight. Activity Alliance found that disabled people felt that they did not have the opportunity to be as active as they wanted to, compared to non-disabled people. Respondents said the lack of activity had made their physical and mental health harder to manage, while feelings of loneliness and social isolation were frequently voiced.

Photo: Metro Blind Sport