HBKU’s Audio-Descriptive Commentary Service Experts Say Service Enhances Match Experience for Fans at FIFA World Cup

An audio-descriptive commentary (ADC) service in Arabic and English – offered as a partnership between Hamad Bin Khalifa University (HBKU)’s Translation and Interpreting Institute (TII) and the Centre for Access to Football in Europe (CAFE) – is enhancing the match experience of blind and visually impaired fans at the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM. The legacy impact of the ADC service is supporting Qatar to achieve its vision for delivering an accessible and inclusive tournament for all fans. 

In preparation for their roles, the ADC commentators completed an intensive Football Commentary Training Program delivered by TII, part of HBKU’s College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS), in collaboration with CAFE. The training focused on the skills needed to describe the action on the pitch and significant visual information. After downloading the FIFA Interpreting app, fans can independently listen to the ADC commentary in English or, for the first time in Arabic history, in Arabic.

Murad Al-Souss, an audio-descriptive commentator at World Cup matches, shared his experience: “The main challenges are conveying a complete and clear picture to the blind fans, to place them at the heart of the event and involve them by providing an accurate audio-descriptive commentary of the game. One of the challenges is when the rhythm of the game gets very fast, and I have to present the image in detail so that the receiver can fully enjoy the game.”

Al-Souss is exceptionally passionate about accessibility. A sign language interpreter and a professional physical education (PE) teacher for the deaf, both his parents and members of his extended family are deaf, making sign language his first language.

“ADC is a wonderful service that has brought the blind audience very close to the stadium. The ADC service allows them to live the experience and the atmosphere more actively and enthusiastically in a way not imagined before.”

He is encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive responses from football fans: “After my commentary on the match between Argentina and Saudi Arabia during the group stage, one of the blind spectators said: ‘I’m listening to the games through the FIFA Interpreting app. ADC provides descriptions of the players’ movements in the stadium. I felt so tense and understood why sighted viewers get excited when watching football matches. I tried to pause the game several times because of the tension. I found out that there are many details in the game that I didn’t know about.’ I also saw a tweet that said: ‘the blind sees the world in Qatar’.”

Looking to its potential future legacy, he said: “This positive feedback proves that the ADC service has become required and necessary for blind spectators attending the matches, but also many other different activities. We were able to simply put a smile on their faces. The continuation of the ADC service is a legitimate right for blind and visually impaired fans and persons with disabilities, in general, in various fields.

“TII is demonstrating a clear application of multiple international conventions that stipulate respect for the rights of persons with disabilities and integrating them into society. I therefore encourage and thank HBKU and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences for offering the program to serve these groups.”

TII’s collaboration with CAFE to deliver the ADC service reflects a shared goal of improving access and inclusion for persons with disabilities. TII, through its Translation and Training Center, both part of CHSS, delivers a range of professional audiovisual translation services, aiming to educate engaged professionals who will contribute towards a more inclusive society by making information, entertainment, culture, as well as sports, accessible to all. 

For more information on the work and programs of the Translation and Interpreting Institute, please visit www.tii.qa