Deaf and visually impaired cricket fans are set to experience an enhanced viewing of the upcoming T20 World Cup in the Americas, as official broadcasters Disney Hotstar and Star Sports Network have announced special telecast arrangements. This initiative includes Indian Sign Language (ISL) and audio descriptive feed for 10 matches, including all India games, semi-finals, and finals. It marks the first time that the T20 World Cup will feature sign language and descriptive commentary, aiming to make cricket more immersive for differently-abled users.
Anurag Thakur, Minister of Information and Broadcasting and Youth Affairs and Sports, commended the move, emphasizing the government’s commitment to creating an inclusive society. Disney Hotstar becomes the first OTT platform to offer ISL for live cricket, underlining their dedication to promoting inclusivity and serving all users.
Sajith Sivanandan, Head of Disney Hotstar India, highlighted their commitment to ensuring that cricket excitement transcends barriers. Sanjog Gupta, Head of Disney Star (Sports), emphasized the positive response to such initiatives in the ongoing IPL, expressing pride in presenting a more inclusive picture of India’s favourite sport.
The ISL feed will feature a ball-by-ball update with a live-stream translator. In contrast, the audio descriptive feed will utilize voice-over technology for specific pages, converting text and images into speech output. Alok Kejriwal, Founder and CEO of India Signing Hands, praised the move as an excellent step towards providing equal opportunities for the deaf and visually impaired, expressing confidence that it will broaden access to the thrilling world of cricket.
With an estimated 6.3 crore deaf and four crore visually impaired individuals in India, as per the World Health Organization, these initiatives hold significant potential to expand the reach of cricket to a wider audience.