BORP fitness instructor, Ralf Somak, led two 12 week seated Tai Chi sessions specifically tailored for the blind and visually impaired community. The concept of teaching Tai Chi over zoom to the visually impaired is novel, but BORP embraced Ralf’s concepts and, thanks to a grant from NCHPAD, we were able to embark on this innovative idea.
Derek Whitecraft is visually impaired and was an enthusiastic student for both sessions. He had been interested in Tai Chi classes for 50 years, but most classes require standing maneuvers and therefore did not accommodate many students. Since this class was seated, Derek was able to complete the full course for the first time ever. “[I was] so ecstatic I could actually go from beginning to end.” Derek was enthusiastic about the many benefits of the class, including improving his arthritis to full mobility, being meditative, releasing tension, helping with fall prevention, and learning some self-defense for the first time!
Ralf made sure all the students benefited from his instructions. He created a space in which participants knew they could speak up if they had concerns or questions. This was crucial because he was adapting the usual Tai Chi training methodology by including detailed verbal descriptions of the movements. He also provided pre-recorded audio descriptions describing the movements. Derek also spoke about hoe, when he had to miss three classes in a row, Ralf provided a free individual lesson to help Derek catch up. “That’s the mark of a really good teacher!” Derek gushed. “His priority was on the participants getting the most out of the class and he was successful!”
Much thanks again to NCHPAD for making this series possible and also to Lighthouse for the Blind and East Bay Center for the Blind for providing valuable resources and helping us recruit participants.
