HISTORY: As the Paralympics begin, visually impaired fans will be able to enjoy the action like never before thanks to a new high-tech headset.

GFX: THE FUTURE OF HEALTH

The headset, developed by British startup GiveVision, aims to set new accessibility standards for sports and entertainment events.

This is Joanna Liddington, Operations Manager at GiveVision.

:: Worcester, England

:: Joanna Liddington, Operations Manager at GiveVision.

“The person using the headset can really zoom in on what they want to see, they can manipulate the image to suit their vision loss. The key point here is that many people with vision loss need things magnified and close and quite bright. And this headset encompasses all of those things.”

Cisse tried out the device during the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

“It was just beautiful. I really enjoyed seeing the runners and I really enjoyed seeing people just supporting all the countries and it was wonderful to see that I could see their faces quite clearly.”

The device stimulates the photoreceptor cells in the eyes, providing visually impaired people with an improved visual experience.

“Every type of vision loss is completely different. No two people have exactly the same eyes. So when we were developing the headset, it was very important to us to think about what we could put in there so that each individual could play around with it as they wanted. For example, many people are sensitive to light and can therefore dim the headset.”

According to a 2023 study by a French association of the blind and visually impaired, 73% of people with disabilities said they no longer go to the stadium.

The same study also found that the main reasons respondents did not attend sporting events were that they were unable to watch the game and needed someone to act as an instructor or commentator.

The World Health Organization estimates that there are more than 2.2 billion people worldwide with some form of visual impairment.