"But now fans with visual impairment at her club can access a sight headset for free, which Sophia says has made a huge difference. "Before [having the headset] I felt disconnected, but now I feel like I'm part of the crowd." Made by tech company GiveVision and using a special network from Shared Access, the headset allows fans to zoom in and out of the game using a controller, so that they can see what's going on up close."
"Sophia's eye condition is called bi-macular atrophy, which affects both eyes and is very rare. It means Sophia struggles to see things that are further way, with faded and blurred patches making it difficult to see details. "My retina is damaged, and it stops me from seeing the detail... it's very blurry for me, and I can't really see the players kicking the ball.""
Blind and partially sighted people were half as likely to attend live sporting events in 2022 compared with the England average, according to the Royal National Institute of Blind People. Crystal Palace introduced free sight headsets made by GiveVision that use a Shared Access network to let users zoom in and out with a controller and view a live TV feed in real time. Sophia, who has bi-macular atrophy and severe distance and detail loss, says the headset transformed her match experience from feeling disconnected to feeling part of the crowd. GiveVision reports interest from other clubs as away fans try the headsets and ask home clubs to consider them.
Read at www.bbc.com
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