June 08: For the first time in World Cup history, blind and visually-impaired football fans will be able to enjoy a special live-match experience at the global football showpiece in South Africa.

According to FIFA, 15 seats in six stadiums have been equipped with headphones and trained commentators to give live reports on the action on the pitch.

"Football is a universal sport and it must be accessible to everyone,” said FIFA president Sepp Blatter.

“We are therefore delighted to be able to make this unique live experience in the stadium also accessible to visually impaired and blind people.

“This project is another launching pad for South African sports and will create a legacy with services and facilities at football grounds for visually impaired and blind South Africans."

The premier project was launched by the Swiss National Association for the Blind and the South African National Council for the Blind and was given financial backing from FIFA.

Arrangements have been made for sight guides and volunteers to accompany the blind supporters within the stadiums.

Also, FIFA partner Sony is providing the necessary transmitters that will allow people to receive match-day commentary in the stadiums free of charge.

The SANCB is ensuring that the tickets are fairly allocated and only a very limited number of tickets are still available for 19 matches via www.sancb.org.za

The stadiums offering this service are:

Johannesburg – Soccer City Stadium: 8 matches
Johannesburg – Ellis Park Stadium: 7 matches
Tshwane/Pretoria – Loftus Versfeld Stadium: 6 matches
Durban – Durban Stadium: 7 matches
Nelson Mandela Bay/Port Elizabeth – Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium: 8 matches
Cape Town – Green Point Stadium: 8 matches

Source: http://www.goal.com