ladbible logo

To make sure you never miss out on your favourite NEW stories, we're happy to send you some reminders

Click 'OK' then 'Allow' to enable notifications

Visually Impaired Athletes' Special Way To Tell What Medal They've Won

Visually Impaired Athletes' Special Way To Tell What Medal They've Won

Well this is genius.

Mel Ramsay

Mel Ramsay

The Paralympics has been an absolute nail-biter in Rio this year. What these people are capable of is absolutely baffling so fucking fair play to them.

Something that's particularly interesting is the fact that the medals for the Paralympics are different.

First of all, they have braille on them (raised dots that can be read with the fingers by people who are blind or visually impaired) that reads 'Rio 2016 Paralympic Games' which makes sense. But they are also full of steel balls.

via GIPHY

Well, blind Paralympians simply rattle their medals, and they can find out whether or not they have been awarded gold, silver or bronze judging by the tone.

Bronze medals have 16 balls, silver has 20 and gold has 28. Bronze therefore makes a soft noise, whereas gold is much louder.

The man behind the sound element, Victor Hugo Berbert, said that the sensory elements offered athletes a more personalised commemoration when he spoke to the International Business Times.

He explained: "To not just be able to show the medal, but for those who have a visual or sensory impairment to be able to feel it not just by touching it, not just with the Braille that is on it, but with its sound."

Apparently, it is known to many Paralympians as 'the sound of victory'.

That's the coolest thing ever.

Featured image credit: Rio 2016/Alex Ferro

Featured Image Credit:

Choose your content: