ESPN Hits Home Run with Its Coverage of Sports Fans with Disabilities
By Christina Eichelkraut
It’s not often the mainstream media gets coverage of people with disabilities right.
That’s why we were so pleasantly surprised to see ESPN’s phenomenal coverage of several die-hard sports fans who don’t let their disabilities keep them away from game day in a realistic way.
A print article bluntly calls professional sports teams to the carpet about the simple ways they could make games more accessible.
An accompanying hybrid media feature story uses short videos, dynamic graphics and text overlays to help readers get to know each of the incredible people profiled. The piece covers both the fans’ passionate devotion to their favorite teams and the wearying struggles of simply getting to their seat and enjoying the game.
All of this is done through narrative storytelling, which importantly is told by the person being profiled. It’s an incredibly impactful way to help readers who don’t have disabilities what going to a game is like for someone who does.
But our favorite part? Both brain injury and other invisible disabilities are included in the coverage.
BIAAZ isn’t on the Pulitzer committee, but if we were, this is the kind of journalism we’d nominate.
ESPN Hits Home Run with Its Coverage of Sports Fans with Disabilities
By Christina Eichelkraut
It’s not often the mainstream media gets coverage of people with disabilities right.
That’s why we were so pleasantly surprised to see ESPN’s phenomenal coverage of several die-hard sports fans who don’t let their disabilities keep them away from game day in a realistic way.
A print article bluntly calls professional sports teams to the carpet about the simple ways they could make games more accessible.
An accompanying hybrid media feature story uses short videos, dynamic graphics and text overlays to help readers get to know each of the incredible people profiled. The piece covers both the fans’ passionate devotion to their favorite teams and the wearying struggles of simply getting to their seat and enjoying the game.
All of this is done through narrative storytelling, which importantly is told by the person being profiled. It’s an incredibly impactful way to help readers who don’t have disabilities what going to a game is like for someone who does.
But our favorite part? Both brain injury and other invisible disabilities are included in the coverage.
BIAAZ isn’t on the Pulitzer committee, but if we were, this is the kind of journalism we’d nominate.
Accommodations Make Stadiums More Accessible for Everyone
There are some other takeaways from the ESPN story that we’d like to expand upon.
First, it is immediately obvious that accommodations for one disability often benefit someone living with an entirely different condition.
For example, a sensory room for people with autism to take a break will also benefit brain injury survivors equally prone to noise or sensory stimulus sensitivity. A printed menu with photos that a person who is Deaf can use will also benefit brain injury survivors with low vision. The ability to register online as disabled when purchasing tickets for easier parking and elevator use will benefit many people with invisible disabilities, including brain injury survivors prone to physical fatigue.
Yet there are plenty of people without disabilities these accommodations can help as well. A printed menu may be just as useful to someone who forgot their glasses or is recovering from an eye injury or cataract surgery. It can help a parent to figure out what their young child wants.
Likewise, a sensory room may be a good place for a fatigued, overwhelmed pregnant to take a beat without being jostled in a crowd.
Closer parking and elevator use that are planned for ahead of time can make a world of difference for any adult caregiver of an elderly parent that simply refuses to get an actual ADA placard or, for whatever other reasons, is not technically disabled but still needs a bit of help getting into the stadium.
As with so many things when it comes to humans helping other humans, ultimately, these relatively small fixes have a big impact that leads to a more fun sporting experience for everyone, including people who do have disabilities.
Small Fixes Can Have a Huge Impact on Game Day
Our community knows better than most that everyday activities require a lot more effort than for those who are not disabled. Receiving necessary accommodations is even more challenging when a disability is invisible, as many brain injury survivors know.
For die-hard sports fans who don’t let their disabilities stop them from cheering their team to victory, these obstacles sting a bit more than usual on game day, severing them not only from the game itself but an entire community of fans to which they belong.
Fortunately, there are some things professional sports franchises can do that are quick, generally low-cost fixes. Many of these are basic changes to baseline customer service.
These include:
- Printed concession menus with photos for low-vision or Deaf fans. A hot dog is not a bratwurst, and this can be hard to convey if the vendor doesn’t Sign.
- The ability to register as disabled when buying tickets online. Elevator usage and parking can save fans with disabilities hours of pre-planning, pain, and potentially putting a damper on their experience. This is especially true for people with invisible disabilities who DON’T use a mobility device.
- Sensory rooms for brain injury survivors, people with autism, or anyone whose disability gives them sensory stimulation sensitivity. Just a few minutes of respite from the noise and lights can feel like a lifetime to someone with sensory sensitivity and give the person a second wind to get back out there and catch the nail-biter game finish or overtime.
- Training in basic sign language for stadium ushers, security officers, and other personnel. Asking, “Would you like me to walk you to your seat?” is a small bit of customer service that has a huge impact for someone who needs assistance navigating a stadium environment.
It doesn’t take a lot to make a large impact. When it comes to organizations such as professional sports franchises that have the resources, personnel, and moral and social imperative to be inclusive, we hope to see some real forward momentum in terms of accessibility. That’s what makes any team a champion in our book.
Christina Eichelkraut is a recovering print journalist who founded Christina Copy Co. in 2011. When her keyboard isn’t clacking, she bakes complex artisan bread, nerds out on political science, uses her fountain pens to write to pen pals the world over, and reads long past her bedtime in a joyful disregard of her alleged adulthood. Christina earned her B.A. in Mass Communications with an emphasis in print journalism in 2006 from Franklin Pierce University.
ABOUT BRAIN INJURY ASSOCIATION OF ARIZONA
The Brain Injury Association of Arizona (BIAAZ) is the only statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of adults and children with all types of brain injuries through prevention, advocacy, awareness and education. BIAAZ also houses the Arizona Brain Health Resource Center, a collection of educational information and neuro-specific resources for brain injury survivors, caregivers, family members and professionals.
What began in 1983 as a grassroots effort has grown into a strong statewide presence, providing valuable life-long resources and community support for individuals with all types of brain trauma at no charge.