KAA Gent tweaks stadium seating to favour fans with disabilities

KAA Gent tweaks stadium seating to favour fans with disabilities

EFDN member KAA Gent has improved accessibility for its fans with disabilities upon a return of fans to stadiums in the Belgian Pro League. Working alongside one of the club sponsors, Printville Visual Communications, Gent has improved signage for supporters with disabilities around the Ghelamco Arena.

The aim is to ensure the stadium remains open to all even in these Covid-19 times. The efforts were a close collaboration with KAA Gent, City of Ghent and KAA Gent Foundation to make every effort for supporters with disabilities to attend matches in comfortable and safe conditions.

The new guidelines specify that capacity for supporters with a disability is as follows:-

• 24 supporters who use a wheelchair (with companion)
• 7 supporters with a visual impairment who use audio description (with companion)

The Ghelamco Arena stadium is divided into compartments for all supporters. Each supporter has a fixed entrance and exit and will find sanitary, drink and food stands in that compartment.

A supporter with a disability and his/her supervisor are seen as one bubble and are assigned a captain who is designated to collect drinks and food. Queues will have a maximum of 5 people and all payments cashless. KAA Gent recommends charging the card at home although this can also be done at the stadium.

Adapted facilities are provided for supporters who use a wheelchair. Each compartment is separated with entrances and exits where there is a lift, an adapted toilet and catering. Eight compartments are organised each with three places with one attendant each.

Supporters with a visual impairment will have access to audio description. A compartment has been set up for them with accessible entrances and exits, sanitary facilities and catering. There are seven places in these compartment for visually-impaired fans each with one attendant.

Supporters with reduced mobility without a wheelchair who use an attendant can, if they have been assigned a less accessible seat, contact the ticketing department up to 48 hours before the match to be allocated a more accessible seat. There are 16 extra such places with one attendant each).

On match days, the KAA Gent Foundation will deploy seven volunteers from to guide supporters with a disability. These activities around KAA Gent supporters with a disability or limited mobility are formulated in consultation with them via the closed Facebook group Buffalo G-Force.