Companies are bringing accessibility to live entertainment

“They shoot, they score! And the crowd goes wild!” – that is, unless you can't see the play.

Such is often the case for blind and low-vision sports fans, who struggle to follow sports games while in attendance due to delays or volume problems with audio descriptions.

But a first-of-its-kind accessibility tool from Irish company Field of Vision aims to change that by allowing visually impaired sports fans to “feel” the game in real time.

How it works: The Field of Vision device uses a combination of AI and cameras to send live signals to a tablet-sized device sitting in the user’s lap. The game information is then transmitted to the tablet after a ~0.5-second delay, with a magnetic ring guiding the user’s finger around the miniature field based on where the ball (or puck) is.

• It also vibrates to convey different game events, such as a tackle or change in possession.
• While the device is initially designed and programmed for soccer, Field of Vision plans to expand into all field sports worldwide.

🧏 Zoom out: Disability access at live events has grown increasingly widespread in recent years. The Super Bowl began implementing ASL interpreters during its halftime performance in 2022, Coldplay rolled out a wide range of disability inclusion tools during their recent world tour, and the newly opened Romeo + Juliet is the first Broadway show in history to offer open captioning at every performance.