A new chapter in sports accessibility was written last Friday at the Unipol Domus during the Cagliari-Verona match . For the first time in Italy, blind and visually impaired fans were able to enjoy an immersive experience thanks to Touch2See , an innovative device that is revolutionizing access to sporting events for the visually impaired.
The system, already successfully used in France for football, basketball, and rugby, and the official partner of the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Africa Cup of Nations , consists of a tablet that reproduces a miniature playing field. A magnetic disk on the device moves in real time, following the action of the match, while a variable vibration system conveys the intensity of the game.
The experience is enriched by audio description: during the Cagliari-Verona match, radio commentary was provided by Radiolina , offering a comprehensive overview of the match. The experiment was made possible thanks to the support of Lega Serie A and Hawk-Eye , a leading company in trajectory detection and official supplier of technologies such as VAR, GLT (Goal Line Technology), and player and ball tracking.
Cagliari Calcio's comment
"We are proud to have been the first club in Italy to introduce Touch2See," said Marco Zucca , Cagliari Calcio's social work director. "This project represents an important step forward in our commitment to inclusion. Seeing the excitement of the kids watching the game through a new sensory experience is a great satisfaction. We thank Lega Serie A for their enthusiastic support of this initiative."
It's a nice initiative that Touch2See, but I wonder if it will work well for all fans. Not everyone has the same needs and sometimes the technologies can be complicated to use. I hope it will be improved.