Outdoor recreation experiences in youth with visual impairments: a qualitative inquiry

Outdoor recreation has many benefits for youth. Benefits may be more profound in youth with visual impairments as the involvement in outdoor recreation activities provides improved self-determination and socialization. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to comprehend each participant's lived outdoor recreation experiences, and to illuminate and show specific meanings that participants assign to their lived experiences. Sixteen youth between the ages of 9-19 years with visual impairments kept an outdoor recreation log for 30 days and then were interviewed about their outdoor recreation experiences in their lives. Data from the logs and the interviews were analyzed by three experts in the field and themes, subthemes, and quotes were established. Youth with visual impairment do participate in a variety of outdoor recreation experiences. The findings revealed three main themes of barriers, benefits, and facilitators. The results indicate that outdoor recreation can be very beneficial and adapted support and special programming are necessary for participants to gain benefits from outdoor recreation experiences.