Action Audio is an accessibility feature for blind and low vision sports fans. It uses real-time ball monitoring technology and spatial sound design to give audiences insight into what’s happening, when it’s happening, without the need for visual information.

As it’s applied to tennis, Action Audio emphasises ball speed and trajectory, proximity to line and shot type (forehand or backhand), allowing low vision audiences to ‘see’ the state of the game through sound, and follow critical moments in real-time.

Action Audio launched at the 2021 Australian Open tennis finals through digital radio, and was simulcast on Vision Australian Radio.

N/A

There is a common misconception that blind and low vision sports fans do not ‘watch’, or are uninterested in sports broadcasts due to their perceived disability. In fact, there is a rich and growing blind sports fan base that are active in both participating in sport, and spectating through the same channels as sighted people.

However, for this audience, the experience is severely compromised. TV broadcasts rely heavily on visual information and storytelling to communicate match progress, while radio commentary is often too slow to provide real-time updates.

Blind audiences work around existing constraints: sitting very close to TV screens, or asking friends or family to update them on match progress. Action Audio was created to recognise this important fan base, and give them the same access to the joy of live, professional sport that we’ve all come to expect.

Four key sound design principles guided the creation of Action Audio:

Social Consideration – Much of the value that sports fans receive from watching sports is social, and blind fans are no different. Action Audio is designed for co-watching experiences by both low vision and sighted audiences.

Existing Sound Languages – There is a rich and active global blind sports community that uses its own sound languages to participate in sports. Where appropriate, we have adopted elements of these languages for consistency and familiarity.

Accentuated Tension Points – Sport is about pushing the limits. Our sound design emphasises dramatic moments within play, and signals when a breakthrough is likely approaching.

Selective Auditory Attention – We filter out sounds around us in order to focus on relevant information. Action Audio should be designed to be ‘filterable’ so as not to override other necessary information or unnecessarily distract.