Recently, disney star launched indian sign language (ISL) for 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, a move that was motivated by its ground breaking initiatives on tolerance in sports broadcast. The initiative was unveiled on Global Accessibility Awareness Day to engage deaf, hard of hearing and visually impaired cricket fans and make the sport more involving as well as easier to follow. Commentary including all matches India semi-finals and finals.
Mansi Dharmaraj Shah, Head of Operations and ISL Interpreter has shared with us her personal experience: “As I grew up, there were a lot of things that my deaf parents could not understand about movies series or even sports since they were all spoken. All entertainment passed them by when it came to mainstream media. Now we have interpreters for ISL especially in cricket so everything changed. My Indian family can now know about the game through these means thus inclusivity is felt and shared among them the entire fun we have had together watching cricket was something new we hadn’t experienced before which gives us entertainment, sense of belonging and connection to wider community.
Alok Kejriwal, Founder and CEO of ISH said: “This initiative not only marks a major milestone in sports broadcasting but also underpins our commitment to make cricket accessible to everyone. By breaking down barriers By ensuring cricket fans of all abilities can enjoy the excitement of the game, we are fostering a more inclusive and connected society.”
