Leisure

Soccer Sight

Summary: Project bringing audio description to football fans!

• About Soccer Sight
• About commentary
• New Soccer Sight guide for football clubs
• The clubs
• Useful contacts

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About Soccer Sight

Soccer Sight is a project that aims to bring quality football commentary to blind and partially sighted people at every professional football club in the UK. RNIB have support from The HBOS Foundation, We are V Youth Volunteering charity, the Football Foundation and the BBC to achieve this.

Initially we set up the project with a national competition to find quality commentators to deliver the service at selected football clubs. Forty successful entrants, chosen by a judging panel, won an opportunity to train alongside professional BBC broadcasters and presenters. We have now developed these training sessions to run on a regular basis across the country to provide volunteer commentators at all our Soccer Sight clubs. If you are interested in joining our project contact susan.neale@rnib.org.uk

About commentary

Commentary is needed to improve access to football for thousands of blind and partially sighted supporters. It gives them the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful game, in the stadium, as it happens.

Hazel Dudley, 56, is blind and a season ticket holder at Liverpool FC. “I watch games at clubs all around the country. My husband, who is also blind, does the same supporting Arsenal. We have no doubt that the standard of commentary for people with sight problems needs to improve. Currently standards are either non-existent, poor quality or biased in favour of the home club. Good commentary for blind supporters is long overdue. Having it would encourage more blind people to go to football matches.”

New Soccer Sight guide for football clubs

RNIB Soccer Sight has produced a guidance document to help football clubs ensure that their grounds, services and facilities are accessible for blind and partially sighted people.

The guide has been produced following the experience and work of the Soccer Sight team and the guidance reviews:

• commentary services
• DDA guidelines
• Signage
• printed information
• website design
• guide dogs provision

The major section on providing a commentary service details all aspects of provision including, recruiting and training commentators, equipment and management.

The document clearly states the responsibilities of stadium officials and details the correct procedures for safety within the stadium.

It is a useful guidance tool for all stadium managers whether it is a sporting or concert venue, and is the first of a new series of documents being produced by the RNIB Soccer Sight project to help stadium managers make their venues more accessible to blind and partially sighted people.

The guide is now available to download in PDF or word versions

RNIB Soccer Sight Guide (PDF 751KB)

RNIB Soccer Sight Guide (Word 115KB)

The clubs

New radio transmission equipment and headsets have been installed at the following clubs:

• Arsenal
• Brighton and Hove Albion
• Bristol City
• Brentford
• Cardiff City
• Derby County
• Doncaster Rovers
• Exeter City
• Fulham
• Gillingham
• Halifax Town
• Hereford United
• Huddersfield Town
• Ipswich Town
• Nottingham Forest
• Notts County
• Norwich City
• Peterborough United
• Plymouth Argyle
• Sheffield Wednesday
• Swansea City
• Swindon Town
• Torquay United
• Watford
• Yeovil Town

Useful contacts

Contact RNIB regarding the Soccer Sight project by emailing susan.neale@rnib.org.uk

Find out more about audio description in sport.

Content author: susan.neale@rnib.org.uk

Last updated: 24/04/2009 9:42