06. 06. 08. - 13:00

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06. 06. 08. - 13:00

Blind Euro 2008 fans to enjoy action with headphones

Some blind and visually impaired football fans will get to follow European Championship matches at Austrian stadiums through headphones, thanks to an initiative aimed at making the tournament accessible to all.

Project co-ordinator Britta Wagner of the initiative, "football 4 all", said the concept was a success in Germany and promises to be an equal hit south of the border.

The idea is simple: People will get live descriptions of the action - in German - through the headphones so they can follow along in their seats in the stadium without actually seeing the ball.

"This is really a super service," Wagner said.

But the perk is limited to those lucky enough to get hold of the special tickets. Wagner said a total of 160 passes were made available by UEFA at reduced costs. All were snapped up quickly.

"They're really great seats," Wagner said. "The final sold out in a minute."

Each visually impaired fan who secured a ticket can bring along an escort for free, Wagner said.

John Morris

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