Sela launches haptic shirts to help deaf fans feel the atmosphere of live football matches
Newcastle United’s front-of-shirt sponsor, Sela, has introduced haptic shirts which allows deaf fans and fans with hearing loss to experience the atmosphere of a live football match.
Using haptic technology, the shirts transform the noise of the stadium into real-time touch sensation and were debuted at last weekend’s Premier League game against Tottenham Hotspur at St James’s Park. Fans and the match day mascots, who are deaf or have hearing loss, wore the shirts in the stands.
Sela, a Saudi Arabian events and experiences company, has been the driving force behind the initiative as a demonstration of their commitment to using innovation to provide unforgettable moments to all fans.
To ensure the legacy of the occasion, Sela has committed to providing this technology at all future Newcastle United home games and hopes its actions will inspire football clubs across the Premier League, Europe and beyond to build on efforts to improve accessibility.
The match also saw Sela donate its front-of-shirt sponsorship to The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID), the national charity which supports the 12 million people in the UK who are deaf, have hearing loss or tinnitus. The historic occasion marked the first time a hearing loss charity has been promoted on a Premier League front-of-shirt, as well as the launch of the cutting-edge shirts.
The donation symbolises a collective commitment from leading live events and experiences company, Sela; Newcastle United; and RNID, to improve fan accessibility in football through new technologies. Fans in the stadium and viewers at home also saw the RNID branding displayed across the pitch-side hoardings.
This activity from Sela comes as research gathered by RNID reveals that 71 per cent of people surveyed by the charity who are deaf and have hearing loss believe new technology can be used to improve the matchday experience and make live sporting events more accessible.
According to research released last year, 93 per cent of deaf people agree you can’t beat the thrill of watching a live sport event in a stadium.
Ibrahim Mohtaseb, Senior Vice President of Sela, said: “Ensuring every fan is able to experience the amazing atmosphere is so important to us as a sponsor of Newcastle United.
“St. James’ Park is renowned for its noise and passion. Through this initiative we hope to enable deaf fans and fans with hearing loss to feel a part of this.
“We would welcome the whole football family to join us by adopting the technology. By acting now, we can collectively make watching live football matches an incredible experience for everyone who loves the game.”
Peter Silverstone, Chief Commercial Officer at Newcastle United, said: “When Sela shared the idea and technology behind the haptic shirts, we supported the concept immediately, knowing it would make such an impact to our supporters who are deaf or have hearing loss.
“Newcastle United’s partnership with Sela continues to provide spectacular experiences for our growing global fanbase. We are also proud that, together, we can shine a light on the positive work of Newcastle United Foundation as well as the City of Newcastle, itself.
“This inspiring campaign is highly innovative and the first-of-its-kind. “Unsilence the Crowd” fills everybody associated with this initiative with deep pride, from all Newcastle United, Newcastle United Foundation, Sela and RNID, along with all stakeholders who have helped make this possible.
“We believe that “Unsilence the Crowd” will be truly game-changing for football and expect this campaign will revolutionise the football experience for any fan who is deaf or has hearing loss, regardless of which team they support.”
Teri Devine, Director for Inclusion at RNID, said: “One in five adults in the UK are deaf or have hearing loss, but people often face barriers in everyday life – including in live sports events. It’s fantastic to see Sela and Newcastle United leading the way in championing this technology which has the potential to have a real and lasting impact on how people who are deaf and have hearing loss experience live sports.”
“We’re excited to be part of this collaboration and we hope this exposure opens up conversations amongst football fans about hearing loss and encourages other football clubs to raise their game and make sure deaf fans are fully included.”
