Most people will watch the 2026 NFL draft in person or on television. Unfortunately, some can’t.Debby Hill is one of them.“A lot of us really want to know what the world is like out there beyond just hearing,” she said.Hill, and others who are blind or visually impaired, can only hear the names called. That’s where the Library of Accessible Media for Pennsylvanians at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh stepped up.“Sometimes we use real-world elements like the Steelers gear and 3D printed elements as to make tactile displays,” LAMP administrator Mark Lee said. “We started printing a couple of draft picks who we assume will be in the top 10.” NFL Draft in Pittsburgh >> Visit our special draft page for latest headlines and what you need to know about the draftThe three-dimensional busts of the draft picks took three to six hours to print. The display includes likely top-10 picks like Fernando Mendoza, David Bailey and Jeremiyah Love. Each bust displays the unique physical features of each player to help the visually impaired feel the prospects. Every bust has a packet of braille writing with descriptions, including the player’s name, number, university he attended, and other facts. “All of the black ink creates a tactile surface,” Lee said. “They’ll know Fernando Mendoza’s from the Indiana Hoosiers because they’ll feel the Indiana logo.”It’s not just the 3D players that are a part of the display. “We also 3D-printed Three Rivers Stadium for people, the Civic Arena and other places that are gone,” Lee said. “We had someone feeling Three Rivers Stadium for the first time, and they didn’t know it was round. That’s when you know you’re doing what you set out to do with a library. Giving people that ‘a-ha’ moment or excitement, those are our favorite things to do. We experience that a lot here at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.”“It really makes it even more personal,” Hill added. “It just gives us another opportunity to understand even better what’s actually going on. We’re more involved in the event because we’ll actually get to experience some of the things.”Looking for more news in your area | Subscribe to the WTAE YouTube ChannelThe Steelers also gave some helmets, jerseys and cleats for the exhibit as well. It all comes together for a draft experience that’s meant for any kind of fan. “We would love to see people come in from all over the country to check these out,” Lee said. “Everybody interprets things through touch, so it’s for everybody — sighted, blind, visually disabled.” “They really open the world up,” Hill said. “At least we have some basic ideas of what the people are like. It definitely helps us understand and give more depth to the actual experience.” The display will be available on Thursday, April 23, and Friday, April 24, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the LAMP in North Oakland.Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.
PITTSBURGH —
Most people will watch the 2026 NFL draft in person or on television. Unfortunately, some can’t.
Debby Hill is one of them.
“A lot of us really want to know what the world is like out there beyond just hearing,” she said.
Hill, and others who are blind or visually impaired, can only hear the names called. That’s where the Library of Accessible Media for Pennsylvanians at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh stepped up.
“Sometimes we use real-world elements like the Steelers gear and 3D printed elements as to make tactile displays,” LAMP administrator Mark Lee said. “We started printing a couple of draft picks who we assume will be in the top 10.”
NFL Draft in Pittsburgh >> Visit our special draft page for latest headlines and what you need to know about the draft
The three-dimensional busts of the draft picks took three to six hours to print. The display includes likely top-10 picks like Fernando Mendoza, David Bailey and Jeremiyah Love. Each bust displays the unique physical features of each player to help the visually impaired feel the prospects.
Every bust has a packet of braille writing with descriptions, including the player’s name, number, university he attended, and other facts.
“All of the black ink creates a tactile surface,” Lee said. “They’ll know Fernando Mendoza’s from the Indiana Hoosiers because they’ll feel the Indiana logo.”
It’s not just the 3D players that are a part of the display.
“We also 3D-printed Three Rivers Stadium for people, the Civic Arena and other places that are gone,” Lee said. “We had someone feeling Three Rivers Stadium for the first time, and they didn’t know it was round. That’s when you know you’re doing what you set out to do with a library. Giving people that ‘a-ha’ moment or excitement, those are our favorite things to do. We experience that a lot here at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.”
“It really makes it even more personal,” Hill added. “It just gives us another opportunity to understand even better what’s actually going on. We’re more involved in the event because we’ll actually get to experience some of the things.”
Looking for more news in your area | Subscribe to the WTAE YouTube Channel
The Steelers also gave some helmets, jerseys and cleats for the exhibit as well.
It all comes together for a draft experience that’s meant for any kind of fan.
“We would love to see people come in from all over the country to check these out,” Lee said. “Everybody interprets things through touch, so it’s for everybody — sighted, blind, visually disabled.”
“They really open the world up,” Hill said. “At least we have some basic ideas of what the people are like. It definitely helps us understand and give more depth to the actual experience.”
The display will be available on Thursday, April 23, and Friday, April 24, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the LAMP in North Oakland.
Download the WTAE app to stay connected with breaking news. Sign up for our email newsletters to get breaking news in your inbox.