The Australian footballer on a mission to make the game accessible to all

Legally, the blind young Charlotte Dougherty has made his dreams inspired by Matildas into reality and now leads the pressure for inclusive football in Australia, Kevan Sangster.

17 -year -old Charlotte Dougherty in August 2023, MATILDAS‘Journey Women’s World Cup.

Australia’s Women’s Football Team, a nation captivated while running into the semifinals. FifaThe leading Women’s International Competition and Charlotte were thousands of young Australia inspired to imitate their new heroes by taking sports.

Nevertheless, it was a bit different as always. Charlotte was legally born legally, with only a few meters of vision.

Despite his disability, the young Melbourian was determined to do it. Contacts with the development officer Blind Football Australia To find out how it can be included.

Since then, his journey has been remarkable. In order to bring the football experience to a visually impaired audience, it led to some amazing opportunities that led the country to lead the difficulty of having a new type of interpretation in the A-LIG competition.

From park to national team

Charlotte always liked sports, and like most young Australians, despite the difficulties of his disability, he tried his hand several times during his shaping years.

Explained:

“I grew up in a sporty child in Melbourne and despite visual impairment, I played many different sports as a child.”

Nevertheless, football that really ignited his passion (or football as many people at that time). But could he join the ball as clear as the others?

Charlotte said:

“I’ve always been a football fan, but I didn’t know that there was blind football until a few years ago.”

Inspired by the Matildas World Cup, Charlotte reached the development officer during those who fascinated for several weeks in the mid -2023. Australia Blind Football Only weeks later.

In the beginning of 2024, a development center in his hometown Melbourne was informed and went to see if he would like it. Charlotte had the ability to follow the sport he had followed very fervently months ago, and the football journey really began to take shape.

He was invited to be tried only six months later. Women Australia Blind Football He was joining the first full national team camp only months before the 19th birthday until September 2024.

FIFA Recognition

It’s like a scenario from a Hollywood movie that happened next. Charlotte and his teammates, who were chosen to represent their country in women’s blind football, started to compete in an international competition in Japan at the end of last year. They performed well enough to qualify for World Cup Grand Prix for Blind Football In May this year – in Japan.

This was the first time Australia had sent a women’s team to the event, and incredibly, they came home with a bronze medal, defeating England, which ranked third.

Nevertheless, before this event ended, Charlotte was asked to join something that could lead to being even greater for himself and his sport.

FIFA, the administrative body of world football program named Integrated Dreams – The first example of the species in the sports industry is specially designed for the promotion of disabled people for employment, entrepreneurship and network creation. They invited Charlotte to join.

The young Melboursian, who was fresh from the national team abuse, spent a few days by learning the opportunities that sports in Malaysia could be disabled.

As a result, he was given a project – and to help the promotion of sound descriptive comments (ADC) Football in Australia. It is quite difficult for a 19 -year -old child who took the sport only two years ago.

“I want to make football more inclusive”

Audio -descriptive comment (ADC) In football, it is a special service designed to make live matches accessible to blind and partly visionary fans. In fact, FIFA was provided by FIFA in the World Cup in Australia, a service that many of Charlotte and visually impaired friends take advantage of the games they are lucky enough to participate as the audience.

ADC provides a detailed expression of the game, which focuses on visual aspects such as ball movement, player actions and even fan and coach behavior – things that don’t always cover with standard interpretations.

As Charlotte explained, the benefits of the visually impaired viewers of the game are important:

“I want to hear that a target is about to be scored before hearing the reaction of the crowd. ADC allows me to do this.”

Although ADC is presented as standard in the FIFA event in the UK and some Premier League games, it is not yet available in professional football games in Australia.

Charlotte’s FIFA sponsored project is to do this.

He said:

“We hope to introduce A-League to A-League for the 20/26 season in an ADC-IMUM NPL before the end of the seasons in September.”

This plan is currently being discussed with football associations in Australia and Charlotte, national leading leagues (NPL) – Second National Second Competitions with a level of a professional A-League – It will prove an excellent starting point for making ADC a suitable option for visually impaired fans.

He continues to explain that the project, which includes downloading an application they use to interact with the expert comments provided in the stadiums, has been relatively well met so far, but there is still a way to turn it into a reality.

This seems to be a big task for a 19 -year -old child who had not played organized football until two years ago. However, Charlotte Dougherty has already overcome some important obstacles in his young life and developed despite them.

When we finish our conversation, he is passionate passionate that he wants to make sure that children who grow up with a visual disability can access the game and how to enjoy the game he loves.

He said:

“I want to make football more inclusive, go to games with my friends and get the same experience with them.”

This is a noble target for the humble young Australian football player.

Nevertheless, considering the remarkable progress in the last two years, you will not bet against it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=miwkvn69s20

Kevan Sangster is a Brisbane -based free journalist and has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Birmingham in England.