The league will let a few fans test the device through a partnership with startup OneCourt
People who have limited vision or are completely blind will have a new way to enjoy the Super Bowl this year. The NFL has teamed with startup OneCourt to equip roughly 10 fans with a device that provides real-time tactile feedback that lets holders track the position of the ball on the field.
The device, which also comes with headphones so blind fans can listen to the game call, will even use a series of different vibrations that will signal specific plays on-field.
The device has been tested occasionally and fine-tuned during the regular season, appearing at 15 games with the Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars, and San Francisco 49ers, among others.
The device, for which OneCourt is currently building a waitlist (though it has yet to provide any pricing information), will also be available at some NBA courts this season, including Atlanta, Brooklyn, Orlando, and Sacramento. Soccer fans at certain matches in Seattle’s Lumen Field and Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium were also able to try it out last year.
Among the people who will be testing out the OneCourt device at the Super Bowl is Scott Thornhill, the executive director of the American Council of the Blind, reports the Associated Press.
“It will allow me to engage and enjoy the game as close as possible as people who can see,” Thornhill said. “As someone who grew up playing sports before I lost my vision, I’m getting a big part of my life back that I’ve been missing. To attend a game and not have to wait for someone to tell me what happened, it’s hard to even describe how much that means to me."
The Super Bowl, which will feature the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, is this Sunday, Feb. 8.
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