Recommendations on access for non-visibly disabled persons
CAFE (Centre for Access to Football in Europe) is working with supporters, clubs and governing bodies towards one clear aim – a more accessible and inclusive match day experience for disabled supporters across Europe.
In their newest Summary Report from December 2020, they focus on the topic of access and inclusion for non-visibly disabled spectators and spectators with long-term health conditions. This is a very relevant topic since approximately 70% of disabled people are non-visibly disabled. These non-visibly disabilities and conditions are not always instantly noticeable to others. This can be because they are not physical, or the person does not evidently use any assistive technology or equipment. For example, 72% of participants have had their eligibility to use accessible services questioned at a football match or elsewhere. Like other disabled people, non-visible disabled people are disabled by the environment around them.
“People are very judgmental and stare, which makes my son highly anxious”, as an autistic person’s parent said. However, most existing accessibility recommendations within football and wider society reflect the access requirements of visibly disabled people.
To address this gap, CAFE conducted a survey of non-visibly disabled people and people with long-term health conditions between April and June 2020. You can find the document on our Online Learning Platform summarising the key findings and recommendations from the survey.
DISABILITY FOOTBALL PROGRAMME
