A finger or two on that magnet letting fans know where the ball is, a vibration from the box that can indicate everything from a goal to a foul, and descriptive audio designed specifically for seeing-impaired fans are all working together to paint a complete picture of what’s happening on the field at Energizer Park. It’s called Touch2See, and St. Louis are the first club in MLS to implement it for their seeing-impaired fans.

Tech-savvy approach

They’ve utilized audio descriptions from a locally-based organization called MindsEye since 2023. But pairing that audio with Touch2See adds another element to the matchday experience.

“O​​ne of the things that I hadn't really thought about as much, and that we heard from almost every fan is knowing how big the pitch is,” said Ken Earley, St. Louis’ director of community relations. “Are you at the top of the box? Are you in the box? Are you just outside of it? Are you mid-pitch? So I think that was one of the things that everyone was really excited about, is, I don't have to wonder where this tackle took place, right?

"I know exactly where, because I followed the ball, and then the ball shot out of bounds and then the Touch2See tablet vibrates.”The club ran their first pilot session with Touch2See on that March 15 match against Seattle and there are plans to continue utilizing the technology going forward. It’s just another addition to their overall efforts to make their home stadium a place of belonging for fans with disabilities.

For fans who are deaf or hearing-impaired, the club has ASL interpreters on their in-stadium video boards signing the PA audio in the corner of the screen, and closed captioning on another board inside the stadium. Any fan in need can utilize an on-site sensory room and calming kits.

“The accessibility features here are much needed,” St. Louis fan Nancy Carver said. “Between myself being diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety, depression, a survivor of assault, we never know when the attacks or the panics are going to set in being in an enclosed environment with people all around and especially strangers. Not knowing a lot of people, that, in itself, sets up a lot of anxiety.