The Brief

The Arizona Diamondbacks have introduced a new assistive device that aims to help those with visual challenges feel the game at their fingertips.

The device, called OneCourt Tactile Broadcast, works through vibrations, and it has less than a second’s delay.

“I wish I could really feel what’s going on and see what’s going on, and I can now!” one fan said.

PHOENIX – The Arizona Diamondbacks have introduced something brand new at Chase Field: a device that helps those who can’t see the game feel the game at their fingertips.

How It Works

The device is called OneCourt Tactile Broadcast.

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“What the count is, who’s up to bat, what the score is, all the things your eyes can see,” said Taylor Merwin with the Diamondbacks. “Now, these blind and low-vision fans can experience that with ease.”

The device works through vibrations, and it has less than a second’s delay.

“They’re feeling this really live, just like the rest of us,” Merwin said.

Dig deeper

Merwin heard about the device and immediately brought it in, launching it after the All-Star break.

“Why not be the first team to offer this,” Merwin said. “I think others will follow suit, but we’re excited to be the first.”

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They only have five right now but hope to expand in the future. They are available on a first-come, first-served basis, but people can reserve them ahead of time.

Fan Reaction

Michaela Griffin is a big Diamondbacks fan, and has been since she was a little girl.

“The D-backs mean a lot to me personally, you know,” said Griffin.

Griffin is blind, so she’s always relied on her family or the members of the Foundation for Blind Children to update her on what exactly everyone was cheering about.

“I wish I could really feel what’s going on and see what’s going on, and I can now!” she said.

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Now, Griffin is cheering on her D-backs in a way she never thought possible before. She hopes the other Major League Baseball teams take note.

“There are so many of us blind baseball fans out there, you’d be surprised, and this is an incredible thing to have,” Griffin said. “It’s not that hard to accommodate, and I think you should do it because it’s an incredible experience for us.”