As Valletta and Hibernians supporters cheered their teams on at the Ta’ Qali National Stadium last Sunday, visual impairment proved no barrier for a small group fans who sat alongside following all the thrills and spills.
The four members of the Malta Guide Dogs Foundation, as well as two sighted guides and two guide dogs, had been invited by the Malta Football Association, which provided wireless headphones through which to follow a dedicated, audio-descriptive live commentary feed.
The commentary, provided by MFA disability access officer Peter Busuttil and Ronald Briffa, allowed the fans to enjoy every twist and turn from their seats below the Trophies Lounge, as Valletta emerged 2-1 winners.
Leone Sciberras was one of those savouring the boisterous atmosphere at the National Stadium, as well as the light-hearted commentary, as he eagerly followed every attack while applauding and cheering on the players.
“My experience was totally different to the one I had a few years ago here,” Mr Sciberras said after the match. “That day, I thought I was supporting the team I wanted to side with but ended up cheering for the two teams as I couldn’t really follow what was happening.
The commentary we had today was cheerful and flowing
“Today’s initiative was hugely positive. It’s important that these kind of projects are continued as inclusion should occur not only in schools but in everything, in every breath we take. It’s nice to see that inclusion is also happening in sports.”
For Kevin Cutajar, the day proved a very enjoyable first visit to the National Stadium, and one he is keen to see followed up.
“The experience was great because visually-impaired persons need a live commentary to know what is going on,” he said. “And the commentary we had today was cheerful and flowing.”
MFA communications director Kevin Azzopardi said the philosophy that football was a sport to be enjoyed by all was at the heart of numerous social responsibility initiatives it undertook on a regular basis as part of its Football for Life programme.
The association has also invited the Malta Guide Dogs Foundation for another game between Floriana and Valletta in the coming weeks. Lilybeth Cachia, the foundation’s honorary secretary, thanked the MFA for the initiative, which she said would kick-off a collaboration between the two organisations.
“With your dedicated detailed explanation, they were able to follow, cheer and enjoy the atmosphere in the ground with the same enthusiasm as the rest of the supporters present,” she said.
Last Sunday’s event formed part of the international CAFÉ Week of Action, a Europe-wide event celebrating the role of people with a disability in football and wider society, and working towards better inclusion.
CAFÉ – the Centre for Access to Football in Europe – estimates that at least 500,000 disabled people within the extended Uefa European region are likely to be active football supporters, with many more aspiring to become match going supporters.