Unique experience designed for Deaf Club Brugge Fans
The game versus KVC Westerlo was a memorable occasion for a few members of the Deaf group Brugge Fans, a fan group for followers of the club who are deaf or hard of hearing. They were given the opportunity to test an innovation for the first time, aiming to elevate their football experience: haptic feedback suits that convert all the stadium sounds into vibrations on their bodies.
It was the first time worldwide that this type of harness was used for a football game. Previously, it has been used by the deaf and hard of hearing at concerts, operas, car races. The harness and some straps provide a total of about 24 points on their body where they feel those vibrations. All the sounds heard in the stadium are converted in real time and people get to feel them directly. The test case was conducted by the company CityMesh, creating a first in Belgium. For Club, it is a test to re-optimize the match experience for the deaf and hard of hearing.
“It fits within our story of how we can do better for all our supporters.”
Peter Gheysen, Head of Club Brugge Foundation
The club was of the first clubs to have blind grandstands, where two commentators provide audio description for its subscribers there. Since two years, Club Brugge has fan club for the deaf and hard of hearing. Specially for them, the Belgian club is trying to make unique experience, that is why during the champions celebration two years ago, for example, the fans were provided with an interpreter for so they could follow everything.
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