Star Sports and Disney+ Hotstar have announced plans to provide Indian Sign Language (ISL) interpretation and audio descriptive feeds for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in June.
Partnering with India Signing Hands (ISH), a Mumbai-based broadcast company, Disney Star aims to enhance the viewing experience for deaf and visually impaired cricket fans. This marks the first time such features will be available for live cricket commentary during a World Cup event, The Economic Times reported.
The announcement, made on Global Accessibility Awareness Day, underscores a significant step towards inclusivity in sports broadcasting. Alok Kejriwal, Founder and CEO of ISH News, expressed his enthusiasm, stating, “This collaboration is close to my heart since it makes the sport truly accessible and inclusive.”
Sajith Sivanandan, head of Disney+ Hotstar India, echoed the sentiment, emphasizing the platform’s commitment to ensuring that cricket remains accessible to all fans. These features will be available for India matches, as well as the semi-finals and finals of the T20 World Cup.