Objective: The assessment of equilibrium distribution parameters, posture and reaction time of visually impaired and blind adults, as well as the proof of effectiveness of an intensive balance, posture and sensory proprioception development training.

Methods: Visually impaired study group (n=7 persons), hardly sighted (n=8 persons) and blind (n=3 persons) adults between the ages of 14 and 80 were selected for the study in a non-randomized, targeted sampling. All subjects were selected based on a survey carried out in Zalaegerszeg Regional Association of Visually Impaired People, Hungary. The control group consisted of 18 persons diagnosed with osteoporosis, without any intervention. Measure variables: Zebris Pedobarograph to measure balance parameters, Stabilizer to evaluate the lumbar motor control, PostureScreen application for the posture analysis, the Functional Reach test (FRT) to evaluate functional balance and gait analysis. The study group participated in a 9 week long, three times a week development program. The results were calculated with paired t-test and correlation analysis (SPSS20v).

Results: The balance condition of the study group (357.19mm²) after the intervention showed improvement with open eyes: 266.89mm², p=0.002. Mediolateral balance deflection was -5.06mm (compared to control: -1.5mm). The improvement of the gait cycle (from 90.6cm to 96.5cm, p=0.002) was significant. Gait width decreased (from 12.06cm to 10.91cm, p=0.009). The protraction degree of the neck reduced (from 12.4° to 9.8°, p=0.016). The average value of lumbar motor control showed changes (from 13.15Hgmm to 11.66Hgmm, p=0.008). The average value of FRT test (from 31.2cm to 35.6cm) showed significant changes (p<0.05). The average value of the reaction time showed a 7.1% improvement, but it was not significant (from 3.462sec to 2.918sec, p=0.019).

Conclusions: Among visually impaired people is very important to develop the balance and posture to improve the daily life functions, and decrease the risk of falls.