Inclusive Sports Viewing: Devices Enhance Experience for Blind and Deaf Fans

In stadiums across the United States, and soon in Paris, blind and deaf fans will have access to various devices that will enhance their sports viewing experience. These devices include audio description, vibrating vests, and touch tablets. They allow fans with disabilities to fully experience the game alongside everyone else. This inclusive approach to sports viewing is gaining popularity and will be implemented at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.

At the Bercy Arena in Paris, blind fans were able to follow the French Cup basketball finals with audio description. This technology enabled Sofiane Ahmad and other blind spectators to fully experience the game from the stands of stadiums. Pierre-Marie Micheli, who is blind, enjoys experiencing rugby matches through audio description and using touch tablets that provide a tactile experience of the game. Similarly, deaf fans like Khaled Kharraz have benefited from vibrating vests that convert sounds into vibrations, allowing them to feel the energy of the game and follow along with the action.

These devices are not yet widely used but are expected to become more prevalent in sports such as football, tennis, and Paralympic disciplines. For example, at the Paris-2024 Olympic Games, audio description will be available in six sports and ten Paralympic disciplines across thirteen facilities. Touch tablets will also be available in six event facilities for football, rugby