Ask the Expert: Is Sport Becoming More Digitally Accessible?

In our newsletter series Ask the Expert, Laetitia Thompson, Digital Content Training Officer of Centre for Accessibility Australia (CFA Australia), answers a digital accessibility question submitted by one of our readers.

Thanks for your question, Lukas!

You’re right, there have been quite a few interesting accessibility developments in sport recently. It’s something we enjoyed discussing around the office. There is no shortage of AFL fans here at CFA Australia, and a coworker or two may have even been up at 3am to watch the FIFA World Cup Final!

While the World Cup and Wimbledon have now wrapped up, both events shared some exciting accessibility innovations that point to where sport is heading. Although there’s still plenty of progress to be made, sporting organisations around the world are looking more and more at how technology can make the fan experience more accessible, whether that’s getting to the venue, following the action, or enjoying the atmosphere alongside everyone else.

Here are a few recent examples we’ve covered at CFA Australia.

Helping fans get to the game Ahead of this year’s FIFA World Cup, Los Angeles Metro introduced a range of accessibility initiatives to help supporters travel independently. One of the standout features was the expansion of Waymap, a smartphone navigation app that provides highly accurate turn-by-turn audio guidance for blind and low vision travellers. Unlike traditional navigation apps that rely on GPS, Waymap uses a smartphone’s internal motion sensors, allowing it to guide people through indoor, underground and crowded environments where GPS can struggle.

Metro also partnered with KultureCity to introduce temporary sensory rooms at major transport hubs, giving neurodivergent passengers a quiet place away from busy crowds. With the tournament taking place during the Californian summer, hydration stations, shade, cooling towels and misting fans were also installed to help people travel safely and comfortably.

While these initiatives were introduced for the World Cup, they’ll continue benefiting people who use the transport network long after the final whistle.

This year’s Wimbledon Championships also showed how technology can improve accessibility for fans watching from home. The HawkAR: Inclusive Feed, developed by the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Hawk-Eye Innovations and AKQA, combined two technologies to help blind and low vision audiences follow Centre Court singles matches. Action Audio used Hawk-Eye tracking data to create a real-time 3D soundscape, allowing listeners to hear the ball’s speed and movement around the court.

At the same time, HawkAR added high-contrast visual overlays showing shot paths and bounce locations, supporting viewers with low vision. Importantly, the technology was co-designed with members of the blind and low vision community, really evidencing the value of involving people with lived experience in accessibility innovation.

Accessibility innovation isn’t only happening overseas. Back in 2022, Telstra, the AFL and Field of Vision unveiled the 5G Touch and Track device for blind and low vision fans. The device uses a tactile 3D model of an AFL field, with a moving steel ring that tracked the location of play in real time using Telstra’s 5G network. Combined with audio commentary, it offers a more immersive way for blind and low vision supporters to experience a live match.

Looking ahead It’s encouraging to see accessibility becoming part of the conversation at major sporting events, and we hope these kinds of innovations continue to grow across Australian and international sport.

Thanks again for your question, Lukas. If you have a digital accessibility question you’d like anyone in our team to answer in a future edition of Ask the Expert, we’d love to hear from you.