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You are here: usher stories > ushers in the media > hands on seville experience |
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Hands-on Seville experience for Celtic fan The Herald, Glasgow, Scotland, Friday, May 16, 2003
DESPITE being deaf and blind, a lifelong Celtic fan will be able to enjoy every second of next week's Uefa cup final in Seville. Clark Steven, 43, suffers from a rare genetic condition called Usher Syndrome, which means he has lost both his sight and hearing. However, thanks to his specially-trained guide communicator he will savour all of the action against Porto after he managed to get a ticket for the big game. Using a highly expressive system of hands-on signing, Mr Steven will be kept informed of every kick of the ball. Speaking through Margaret Anne Duthie, a guide communicator at Deafblind Scotland, Mr Steven from East Kilbride, said: "I have always supported Celtic and my dad used to take me to the games. "I have a season ticket and have been a member of the 67 Club (Celtic's official travel club) for the last two-and-a-half years. I applied for the Seville tickets and was lucky enough to get them. When I was told I would get the tickets, I was jumping for joy. "I went to Switzerland last year and the Liverpool game a few weeks ago. That was the best, but Seville will be something else." Mr Steven's condition is a genetic disorder combining a moderate to profound hearing loss and Retinitis Pigmentosa, known as RP, which causes a progressive loss of vision. With RP, the eye becomes less able to adjust to low light, resulting in night blindness. As it progresses, the field of vision narrows until only central or 'tunnel' vision remains. It is an inherited condition and one of the greatest difficulties experienced by sufferers is increased isolation as the restrictions on both spoken and visual communication increases. Mr Steven, who was born deaf and gradually lost all of his sight, leaves Glasgow at 7am on May 21 and will arrive back in the early hours of May 22. "It will be a hard game but Celtic can get there. I really hope Celtic win. I am confident and think the score will be 2-1 to Celtic with Larsson getting both goals," he said. The guide communicator acts as the eyes and ears of the deafblind person enabling the person to fully participate in any activity. During the game, the guide will use Mr Steven's outstretched palm as a map of the pitch to describe the action. The method of signing takes just an hour to learn. Drena O'Malley, chief executive at Deafblind Scotland, has known Mr Steven for almost 20 years. She explained that the guide communicator accompanying him has been going to the games for years and knows all the players and their positions. "It will cost a fortune, but he is desperate to go. It is practically the only thing he spends his money on. At the games, the fans are very kind and make sure the communicator has a good view of the pitch so they can tell Clark," she said, "Sometimes, they even try and give a running commentary by spelling out surnames of players and that type of thing. It is great to see Clark get the benefit of getting out and about. Clark is a very private person but going to the games has made him more outgoing. "When he is there, he can sense the atmosphere and feel everyone around him moving about. He can be aware something has happened on the pitch and will ask the guide 'What was that?' and 'What happened?' "Even after the match, he goes over the game in his head. I am not really interested in football, but I hope they win for his sake." |
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