Vodafone & GiveVision Support Visually Impaired Fans at Wimbledon

July 14, 2023 

Telecomm leader and Wimbledon's Official Connectivity Partner, Vodafone, has partnered with GiveVision, an organization that develops assistive technologies for people with severe sight impairments, to trial new 5G powered GiveVision headsets at the prestigious tennis tournament which culminates on July 16. The goal is to help visually impaired fans “watch live tennis like never before.” 

“At the moment, people with sight loss are severely underrepresented,” said GiveVision Head of Operations Joanna Liddington. There are 5.1 million visually impaired people in the UK – 43% of which are fans of football alone and many other sports fans including tennis. However, only 15% of blind and partially sighted people attend live sporting events compared to the 71% who engage in sports through TV and radio.

GiveVision is focused on setting new accessibility standards for sports and entertainment, making it more inclusive and accessible for people with sight loss by breaking down barriers and supporting their independence. Audio description commentary has significantly enhanced the experience of blind and partially sighted sports fans from around the world. However, the GiveVision headsets take the live fan experience to another level. Live footage is streamed from local TV cameras over Vodafone 5G to the GiveVision headsets, which enhance the footage to suit the individual’s specific sight profile and needs. 

This initiative is part of Vodafone’s commitment to improve accessibility across sports and music. It partnered with Wimbledon and the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) in January 2022 to bring the sport to more people. After a successful trial Vodafone is exploring the possibility of making the 5G headsets more widely available at future Championships, as well as at other live sporting events across Vodafone partners.

The technology brings the action closer to the eye, stimulating the photoreceptor cells in the retina (cells that respond to light), which means a degree of sight can be regained. This allows fans to watch the match from anywhere in the stands. Previously headsets required fans to stay within 10 to 20 meters of a transmitter box in an ‘accessibility’ area – with each box only able to support a limited number of headsets.

And, as each individual’s sight loss varies, the headsets can be adjusted to fit the specific requirements, allowing the wearer to tailor the experience to their personal needs and independently follow the on-court action. This includes features like amending the zoom, brightness and contrast of the footage.

“As a visually impaired tennis player and a huge tennis fan, I can’t put into words how I feel at the moment. Being able to track the ball, see the spin and focus on all the finer details is a real game-changer,” said Great Britain VI Tennis Men’s Champion, Ivan Rodriguez-Deb. 

Vodafone’s 5G network covers entire courts so that visually impaired fans aren’t restricted to specific areas and don’t experience lags in the footage. The headsets are being trialed on Centre Court and No.1 Court by visually impaired tennis fans and players Rosie Pybus, Sinead Grealy and Rodriguez-Deb.

“Providing opportunities like this really helps to open tennis up and make the whole experience more inclusive. The technology is brilliant – the clarity, the option to change modes, the ability to see whatever I want – it gives me such a sense of freedom,” shared Pybus. 

GiveVision has also been working with Premier League club Crystal Palace and with Vodafone 5G and hopes that the technology can be rolled out across many more venues, stadiums and for other sports fans.

Source and photos: Wimbledon