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Imagine sitting in a stadium packed with sound, colour and motion, yet only being able to catch fragments of the scene. That’s the reality for millions living with low vision who love live events but can’t fully see them. GiveVision, a London-based company founded by a mix of engineers and accessibility advocates, decided to change that. They’ve developed a headset that works like digital binoculars crossed with a VR visor, designed to give users sharper, more adjustable sightlines during sports games, concerts and cultural performances. Instead of treating visual impairment as a reason to stay home, GiveVision invites fans back into the action seat by seat, stadium by stadium.
GiveVision began with curiosity and a pair of engineers tinkering with Google smart glasses. Co-founders posted early ideas in open-source channels, then watched comments roll in from blind and low-vision users who asked sharp questions, pointed out gaps and pushed the team to think bigger. That chorus sparked a year of market research and hands-on trials with 100 people. The lesson landed fast: new hardware only matters when the person wearing it can shape the experience.
Elodie Draperi helped steer that shift. She organized testing sessions, gathered reactions and translated real-world needs into product choices. Early on, the company sold direct to consumers to keep feedback close but scaling proved tough. The team then pivoted and found its stride in stadiums, arenas and cultural venues. Sport and culture turned out to be the right stage to make headsets feel normal, even cool, for people who often live with an invisible disability yet risk standing out the moment a device sits on their face.
Most assistive devices for people with low vision are very limited with each one performing a single function. For example, a magnifier might help someone read a label or a menu, but it only offers one level of zoom. If a person’s eyesight changes or they want to do something that requires a different level of magnification, they have to switch to another tool altogether. GiveVision’s headset was created to solve that exact problem. Instead of needing several separate aids for different tasks, the headset combines multiple functions in one device. Users can adjust zoom, contrast and brightness instantly, tailoring the image to their specific vision and the situation they’re in. Draperi described it as moving away from “one product, one function” toward something more dynamic: a device that can actually enhance vision in a flexible, personal way, much like how hearing aids amplify and adapt to different sounds.
The headset bundles multiple controls in a closed environment that blocks glare. Inside the visor, display light reaches the user’s photoreceptors without interference. Many people with low vision have photoreceptors that still respond to stimulation. Boosted light helps. On top of that base, users tune three fundamentals. Zoom for size, contrast for separation and brightness for comfort. In trials, the approach improved visual acuity and contrast sensitivity because every wearer could dial in a personal setting rather than settle for a single preset.
At a venue, the headset runs in two modes. Digital binoculars let a fan pick a focal point, scanning the pitch or stage. Broadcast mode mirrors the in-venue screen, only closer to the eyes and easier to track. That second mode demands rock-solid connectivity with minimal latency. A site with strong Wi-Fi and solid 4G can run a cluster in a defined seating zone. When GiveVision uses a private 5G network inside a stadium, the headset can connect no matter where the person is sitting. With older 4G or Wi-Fi setups, users need to stay close to a router or hotspot for the headset to work properly. That limits them to certain seats. But with 5G, the connection is much stronger and faster, covering the entire stadium. So instead of having to group people with low vision in one area, the 5G setup lets them sit anywhere they like and still get the same smooth, real-time video feed through the headset.
GiveVision’s headset isn’t designed for people who are completely blind. It is meant for those who still have some usable vision. To figure out who can benefit, the team asks one simple question: Do you already use something to make things bigger or clearer, like zooming in on your phone or using a magnifying glass? If the answer is yes that usually means the person still sees enough for the headset to make a difference. They need to be able to see a bit more than just light or dark so that when the headset sharpens, brightens or enlarges images, their eyes can still process the improvements.
The company has deployed systems for football seasons, single fixtures and cultural events in the United Kingdom and France, partnering with network providers such as Vodafone and infrastructure groups such as Shared Access. During the Olympics and Paralympics, Sanofi backed rollouts as part of an inclusion strategy.
But technical advances only tell half the story. Draperi says reactions in testing rooms continue to surprise the team. People who grew up with low vision sometimes need to learn what a newly crisp image means. Faces reveal lines and colours that never landed before. That discovery can feel thrilling and heavy in the same moment. The headset lets people see things they couldn’t before, which can feel amazing, but it also takes time to get used to seeing the world in a new way. Then there’s the social side. Wearing a visor makes people stand out, and that can make some users feel self-conscious. That’s why GiveVision brings its technology to busy, exciting places like sports arenas instead of quiet clinics. In a big crowd full of fans, no one thinks twice about someone wearing cool tech. It just feels natural.
GiveVision’s main goal is to make the headset easy for people to use without worrying about money. Stadiums and event sponsors pay for the equipment so fans don’t have to. It makes sense for them because these budgets already go toward improving the fan experience and keeping seats full.
Someone who struggles to see the action on the far side of the field might stop going to games altogether. But once they can actually follow what’s happening, they’re more likely to come back and bring friends along. And it’s not only for people with low vision. Many older fans with fading eyesight still love the thrill of live sports. When they can see clearly again, they enjoy it more and start attending more often.
Company growth now points west. GiveVision joined the second cohort of the Mobility Unlimited Hub to tap a North American network of experts, operators and advocates. Public relations support helps spread the word about where GiveVision’s technology is being used and share stories of how it’s making a difference. Market research informs tweaks to service design and partnerships on this side of the Atlantic. The European model seems transferable, yet the team plans to test and learn city by city.
Outside of sports and concerts, GiveVision sees lots of other ways its headset could help people. It could be used for remote eye checkups, letting doctors monitor vision without patients having to visit a clinic. It might also be used for eye-training games that help people strengthen how their eyes work. In schools, it could help students with low vision see the board more clearly.
Projects in the medical world take a long time to develop, so while researchers work on those, GiveVision is keeping its event headset active and improving, making sure people can keep using it at stadiums and venues while new ideas are tested in the background.
When a sports club or theatre lists accessibility features, GiveVision wants to be on that checklist next to ramps, captions and audio description. They do not want to be a novelty tucked in a drawer but rather a standard, ready for pickup at gate level, cleaned between uses and staffed by people who know the controls.
So, if you ever end up in a venue testing GiveVision, give it a go. Play with the settings, tweak the zoom, adjust the contrast, brighten the image. Then look up and watch the details come alive. The goalkeeper’s quick hand signal, the flick of a violin bow, the tiny moments others might overlook suddenly stand out sharp and clear. That spark of clarity means something. It’s proof that fans with low vision deserve the same full view as anyone else. And GiveVision is working to make that happen, turning every seat into the best seat in the house, one venue at a time.