Visually impaired fans of the Denver Nuggets feel the game at Ball Arena with help from new technology

Inside Ball Arena in Denver on Friday, some Nuggets fans experienced a game like never before. For the first time, blind and low-vision fans could track every pass, shot, and fast break through their fingertips.

For years, Julie and Dan Deaton have followed Denver's NBA team the same way many blind fans do: through the radio.

Julie Deaton, executive director of the Colorado Center for the Blind, was among the first fans in Denver to try OneCourt's tactile broadcast technology during the Nuggets game against Atlanta Friday night. The handheld device uses haptic feedback to translate live ball movement and gameplay into vibrations beneath the user's fingertips.

"Most people can see what's happening in a game in real time," Deaton said before tipoff. "To be able to actually use my fingertips to feel what's going on on the court? I'm really excited to try this out."

Deaton has led the Colorado Center for the Blind for more than 25 years. The organization works with people who have lost their vision, teaching them that blindness does not have to limit independence or opportunity.

Students at the center learn how to travel independently using canes and public transportation, cook and clean safely, use adaptive technology like screen readers and voiceover software, read Braille, and prepare for employment. The center also emphasizes confidence-building through activities that pair blind children with positive role models.

"Just because you've lost your vision does not mean your life is over," Deaton said. "You can fully participate."

That mindset extends to her love of sports.

A lifelong Coloradan, Deaton grew up listening to basketball — even following the Denver Rockets. As an adult, she typically listens to Nuggets games on the radio and rarely attends in person.

"The game moves so fast, and I love that," she said. "Listening on the radio is never boring. But being in the arena, the energy is completely different."

That energy is what made Friday night's experience stand out. The OneCourt device mirrors the court in real time, allowing blind and low-vision fans to track the ball's position, pace, and movement through touch. Deaton said the technology offers something she's never had before at a live game.

"I see this device as a way we can actively participate," she said. "It's like going to a museum where you can touch the exhibits instead of walking past pictures you can't see."

She compared the experience to using multiple senses at once, something she says is often underestimated.

"You don't have to see to pick up on energy," Deaton said. "Whether it's here at Ball Arena, hiking in the mountains, or skiing down a hill, there's so much more to life than only seeing."

She hopes the technology continues to expand, not just in basketball, but across sports.

"As blind people, the more opportunities we have to actively participate in life, the better," Deaton said. "That's the key."

The Denver Nuggets, Ticketmaster, and OneCourt have teamed up to bring the tactile broadcast technology to every Nuggets home game this season. Five devices are available free of charge at each game on a first-come, first-served basis through Guest Services.