Visually impaired members of the subscriber base describe Zwift as “the most inaccessible app out there,” but when will Zwift see to it?
Hannah is a New Zealand mum diagnosed with glaucoma as a baby. Nearly 13 years ago, she suffered complete blindness. Hannah was 25 and, since, has run in 16 marathons and finished two IRONMAN triathlons. She’s now in a para-cycling development program and aspires to compete in the 2024 Paralympic Road Race and Time Trial in Paris.
“The biggest challenge in my training has been the fact I am totally blind, and there is a limited amount of technology out there that is accessible enough for me to get the best out of training,” Hannah shares.
Anthony is a passionate 55-year-old cyclist blind due to retinosa pigmentosa, who, like Hannah, shares an appreciation for virtual cycling’s impact on their lives.
“My love of cycling led to doing a triple ascent of Mont Ventoux on a single day back in 2017,” Anthony recalls perhaps only the second tandem to have accomplished that, “and multiple coast to coast rides in the UK.”
Anthony has a 20-year background in software engineering. He relies on technology for most things in life and the assistance of a Tandem Pilot to ride and train on the road.
“As you can imagine, in the absence of a Tandem Pilot, the virtual Cycling world would be an ideal substitute for blind cyclists, but so far, this isn’t happening,” Anthony alludes to his two-year attempt to present the issue to Zwift.
The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 obligates television, video, and streaming services to provide accessible communication options. The legislation finally caught up to video games in 2019. The update requires video games to have a voice-over, electronic messaging, and video conference option. The EU has similar web directives.
It’s a monumental step, but further legislation, industry regulation, and adaptive technology are needed to ensure accessibility for individuals like Hannah and Anthony.
To hear Zwift’s response to the multi-year feature request and learn how Zwift can be more accessible to visually impaired riders, read the full feature in road.cc!
Answer Anthony’s plea, “If anybody is in a conversation with Zwift or customer support at any point, could you just try to advocate and encourage them to make amendments to stop excluding the blind community from the virtual cycling world!”
Semi-retired after more than 20 years as the owner and director of a private Orthopedic Physical Therapy practice, Chris now enjoys the freedom to dedicate himself to his passions—virtual cycling and writing.
Driven to give back to the sport that has enriched his life with countless experiences and relationships, he founded a non-profit organization, TheDIRTDadFund. In the summer of 2022, he rode 3,900 miles from San Francisco to his “Gain Cave” on Long Island, New York, raising support for his charity.
His passion for cycling shines through in his writing, which has been featured in prominent publications like Cycling Weekly, Cycling News, road.cc, Zwift Insider, Endurance.biz, and Bicycling. In 2024, he was on-site in Abu Dhabi, covering the first live, in-person UCI Cycling Esports World Championship.
His contributions to cycling esports have not gone unnoticed, with his work cited in multiple research papers exploring this evolving discipline. He sits alongside esteemed esports scientists as a member of the Virtual Sports Research Network and contributes to groundbreaking research exploring the new frontier of virtual physical sport. Chris co-hosts The Virtual Velo Podcast, too.
