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Audio description project for matches

14 May 2010

FIFA, the Swiss National Association for the Blind (SNAB) and the South African National Council for the Blind (SANCB) have teamed-up to provide an audio description project at 44 matches in six of the 2010 FIFA World Cup stadiums. The project, which was initiated by the Swiss NAB, funded by FIFA and operated by the SANCB, will offer special tickets to visually impaired soccer spectators.

This is a first for South African sport stadiums and it is hoped that the project will leave a legacy after the FIFA World Cup for other tournaments to offer a similar service to the estimated 500 000 visually impaired South Africans.

At each of the selected six stadiums, there will be 15 seats available for visually impaired spectators as well as 15 seats for their sighted guides who will accompany them. Persons filling these seats will be able to listen to an audio description of the match on a small receiver with earphones, given by trained journalists.

The Institute of Advancement of Journalism is responsible for sourcing, training and co-ordinating the audio descriptors, while the Academy of Sound Engineering students will perform the technical audio functions necessary to ensure that the audio descriptions are correctly transmitted to the visually impaired fans at the stadiums.

Stadia involved

Johannesburg - Soccer City Stadium: 8 matches
Johannesburg - Ellis Park Stadium: 7 matches
Tshwane/Pretoria - Loftus Versfeld Stadium: 6 matches
Durban - Durban Stadium: 7 matches
Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth - Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium : 8 matches
Cape Town - Green Point Stadium: 8 matches

SANCB will ensure that the tickets are fairly allocated and will make sure they go to visually impaired persons only. The closing date for ticket applications is 26 May 2010 and will be allocated on a first-pay-first-serve basis. To apply for a special ticket, contact SANCB on +27 (0) 12 452-3811 or email az.gro.bcnas@0102pucdlrow. For more information and application forms, go to www.sancb.org.za.