Do visually impaired people (including those with nystagmus) support football teams? Yes, of course they do; they are no different to anyone else… or are they?
Imagine yourself at a football match, you’re sat in the stadium, intently watching the game. What do you do when a goal is scored? Jump up and start cheering?! (Well, I think that’s what most do)! How did you know your team had scored? You saw it.
Now imagine you have a visual impairment – your naked eye is unlikely to yield sufficient visual acuity to allow you to see the ball in play, you therefore have to rely on the commentary. Fortunately, it’s usually pretty good. However, the frustrating thing is, when at an actual game and the crowd starts cheering, you have to wait to find out from the commentator. The only trouble is, sometimes the people around you are too excited and soo loud, that you can’t hear!
Fortunately, you can get a good feel for the atmosphere and the tone of the crowd. Chris Bevan, BBC Sport Correspondent, went to a Swansea football match wearing a blindfold, in order to experience the match from the perspective of a blind person. His article about his experience makes a good read.
