The purpose of this investigation was to analyze various components and compensatory strategies of balance in individuals with visual impairment compared to sighted individuals. In this study, balance was measured with the Sensory Organization Test(SOT) on a Neurocom Equitest. The SOT consisted of three trials over six conditions with the eyes open or closed and with stable or moving surfaces. The conditions were based on balance measures while limiting feedback to the senses. Balance composite scores, sensory analysis and strategy analysis were measured on all subjects. A one-way ANOVA was used to compare composite scores between individuals with visual impairments and sighted individuals. Group comparisons were also used to compare strategy analysis on each sensory condition. Based on the data analysis, no significant differences were apparent in balance composite scores p>.05 between the visually impaired and sighted groups. On the sensory analysis variations were significantly different on conditions 4(eyes open, floor and walls fixed )and 6 (eyes open floor and walls variable). Postural corrections to maintain balance revealed that ankle strategies were utilized under conditions that did not require vision, while under conditions that necessitated vision participants shifted toward a hip strategy as a method to correct balance and avoid falls. From our data, it appears that balance difficulties in individuals with visual impairments are not as apparent as previously reported in earlier studies that reported balance deficits in visual impairments. What may be noteworthy is that the strategies used to maintain balance apparently vary from sighted individuals as individuals with visual impairment effectively trade effiiency for safety. Participants with visual impairments generally make balance corrections by using the larger muscles of the hips and quadriceps to avoid falling rather than using the ankles to make postural corrections, The findings of this study provide some useful information on how individuals with visual impairments compensate for their vision loss to maintain static balance. and how compensations are made when the surface is unstable. It was concluded that understanding the various strategies employed by individuals with visual impairment can be applied to orientation and mobility training and contribute to understanding the compensatory mechanisms used to maintain balance when vision is restricted.Keyword(s): adapted physical activity, older adult/aging issues, research