The Blind Football Bundesliga (DBFL) was founded in 2008. It was initiated by the Sepp Herberger Foundation together with the German Disabled Sports Association and the German Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Since 2011, selected match days have been held as part of a city tour. This gives a broad audience the opportunity to experience firsthand the impressive achievements people with disabilities are capable of.
The game is played with a special ball that can be heard thanks to built-in rattles and helps players orient themselves on the field.
Deutsche Telekom has been a partner of the Sepp Herberger Foundation since 2017, supporting, among other things, league play and the Football Inclusion Days. The company also contributes its event format, „Neue Sporterfahrung“.
As part of this format, athletes without visual impairments can use specialized equipment to learn about the challenges blind football players face and the specific techniques they use to overcome them. Participants experience a new kind of sport in the truest sense of the phrase, completing challenging exercises with, among others, an active blind football player. In addition, „Neue Sporterfahrung“ provides an important platform where athletes with visual impairments and sighted athletes can connect inclusively.
