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FSM


Features


Access The benefits of making Stadi


Every year, billions of people visit the UK’s football stadiums to support their favourite team. This is something everyone should be able to enjoy and experience, regardless of individual requirements. However, in recent months, a number of


stadiums have been criticised for not doing enough to accommodate for fans with disabilities. For example, Newcastle’s ground does not meet the minimum accessible seating requirements and Burnley FC does not have any disabled toilets in its main stand. While an increasing number of clubs are


investing in disabled access, such as Arsenal -which has a dedicated sensory room and an accessible website – there are still many stadiums that are far from accessibility- friendly. This was evident in our recent research,


which highlighted a general lack of accessibility awareness across a range of venues in the UK’s tourism industry – including football stadiums. We found a quarter of businesses could not accommodate for those in


wheelchairs, and a third of companies were unable to accommodate for those with a cognitive impairment like autism. To rectify these shortcomings, it’s clear


that a football club’s online and physical accessibility need to be reassessed. Ensuring websites are user friendly and training staff to understand the needs of disabled passengers are just a couple of ways of achieving this. Not only would this benefit the UK’s 11


million disabled individuals, but stadiums that accommodate for this demographic also stand to improve fan loyalty and make the most of the ‘purple pound’, which is currently worth £250 billion in the UK alone. With this in mind, let’s explore what


measures need to be taken to make stadiums accessible to all and how these changes stand to benefit football clubs across the country.


Getting stadiums up to scratch


Above all else, clubs need to ensure their stadiums can be physically accessed by anyone. Whether someone has loss of


mobility, hearing, sight or behavioral disorders, thought needs to go into how these people can navigate a stadium with the same level of ease as every other fan. A great example of a club that is working


hard to make this a reality is Manchester United. After the stadium’s level of accessibility was deemed ‘disappointing’ by the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) last May, it made rectifying this situation a priority. It has since confirmed plans to install extra disabled seating within its stands and announced that it will continue making improvements to disabled access throughout 2019. For those stadiums that are currently


below par in terms of accessibility, Manchester United’s recent efforts should stand as proof that it is never too late to turn things around. Below are some modifications that will


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