Game. How does it work to be visually impaired and go to hockey?
excellent.
Sportbladet stopped by visually impaired Jonas Leander and Inger Strand at an SHL match and got an insight into their experience and passion for ice hockey.
A lot happens during a match, says Jonas Leander.
Jonas “Jonty” Leander and Inger Strand are visually impaired and have a passion for hockey in general and Leksand in particular.
– I was visually impaired when I was a kid. Jonas Linder says I try to be as active as possible and do a lot of sports.
Inger and Jonas are active at Rixford Fallopjeden for the visually impaired and through that organization they get to know each other and begin group meetings when Lexand plays ice hockey.
– We’ll play four or five games until Christmas. We get help from an SRF visual interpreter and they’re also in charge of the equipment so we can signal the match via an earpiece, says Strand.
They warm up before the game in Puck Munthe with a proper drink and are charged for the showdown. They do not see everything that is happening around them, but through other body senses they make a strong impression of the atmosphere before the match. They also have a companion with them in Mikael Lindberg who tells them what’s going on and helps them when they have to walk around the square and fill up on food and drink.
– I’ve come up with some tips and tricks over the years. When I’m full of drinks, I put my finger in the cup so I can feel when the cup is full,” says Linder.
15 minutes before landing it’s time to get to the A7 and the handicap-adapted short segment.
Mats Olsson is today’s visual translator, distributing earphones to those who need them and verifying that the technology works as it should.
“We’re sitting on the short side, so sometimes it’s a little hard to see what’s going on on the other side, but I try to check the media cube so that the right information is given to those who listen,” says Mats Olson.
The Sportbladet tests wearing a headset for a while and also closing their eyes to get the same experience for the visually impaired. Mats Olsson reports events on the radio, and with the audience’s soundscape, it makes a strong impression, even though you can’t see anything.
Leksand starts the match at a fast pace and leads 3-0 through a hat-trick from Carter Camper.
You might think that the roars and howls that occur at home targets can be a little scary when you don’t see what’s going on and are unprepared. But it is not. The tone of the crowd develops into a kind of escalation when the chances of the goals approach and you are warned that something is going on.
During parts of the match, the referees are in focus. The local audience is not happy with the way referees are handing out expulsions, venting and expressing their displeasure over and over again. No matter what senses are used, resentment is unmistakable.
– I can’t see how they judge, but I heard that the audience was dissatisfied. I have to trust their judgment, says Jonas Linder, a statistician. It devours speech magazines and uses the phone’s speech function to absorb information.
Liksand finally won the match 4-2. Mats Olsson referees a positive match for the blind in the arena who sympathize with the Dalla team.
– Since they are games, I may not be completely impartial. The visual interpreter says I am mixing up some feelings.
Inger and Jonas leave the game satisfied and full of anticipation for the rest of the season. Jonas asks when favorite Jon Knuts is back and Sportbladet is trying to help with as much information as possible.
– Feel free to write that it is a shame that Radiosport has stopped live reporting from the sports arenas. what a shame. Those of us who are visually impaired find it hard to keep up with sports afterward, Jonas Linder.
