‘Disabled fans must get a level playing field’

Image: Coliseum GSVA

Olivier Jarosz and Ted Morris lamented that stadia across Europe or for that matter globally turn a Nelson’s eye towards the disabled supporters. Jarosz also painted a very bleak picture vis-à-vis accessibility of the disabled fans into the stadia in general.

Both Jarosz and Morris were all praise for the 62,850-capacity Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London (UK) which has been created to be inclusive for everyone. The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium features over 250 dedicated elevated wheelchair positions around the seating bowl, 66 fully accessible toilets and hearing loops that provide audio-descriptive match commentaries.

Morris termed the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when it comes to the inclusivity factor as “exception rather than the rule”.

Olivier Jarosz is the head honcho of AccessibAll, the company that uses ‘total access’ as their focus harnessing the power of sport to act as a catalyst for disability-inclusive change in the wider society. Prior to joining AccessibAll, Jarosz had led research and development (R&D) efforts at the European Club Association (ECA) for over a decade.

Ted Morris is the Chairman of the Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association (LDSA). Morris works tirelessly to turn equality and fairness into a reality for the disabled football supporters. The LDSA represent the disabled supporters of the Premier League team Liverpool F.C.

Olivier Jarosz, CEO, AccessibAll, Switzerland, and Ted Morris, Chairman, LDSA, UK, in an exclusive talk with ‘Coliseum’ ‘pitch’ for a level playing field for the disabled fans. Jarosz pointed out that venues boasting a section for the disabled supporters does not go on to make these facilities inclusive but “it is about making the whole stadium accessible”. Morris maintained that “the wheelchair tribunes and the sensory rooms in the stadia won’t generate revenue but they will give the children the hope and that is priceless. You cannot put a monetary value on that.”
 

Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association (LDSA)

The Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association LDSA represents the disabled supporters of the Premier League team Liverpool F.C. The committee meets regularly with the top-flight club to discuss many issues that may affect a disabled supporter’s enjoyment of attending a football match which include accessibility, seating, ticketing, etc.

Olivier Jarosz started the conversation by informing that the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and Accessiball have recently come out with guidelines which offer a thorough roadmap to create a more accessible, inclusive and welcoming matchday experience for all the disabled fans. The guidelines cover critical areas such as stadium infrastructure, services, matchday operations, and staff training while also emphasizing the vital role of the Disability Access Officer.

Ted Morris added that out of the eight (8) lakh-plus fans in a stadium only 139 is wheelchair-based – “This is just not fair. It is not acceptable. Venues must also make it mandatory to build sensory rooms otherwise the family has to leave the stadium and go home. You do not need a huge amount of money to build a sensory room in a venue.”

Morris bitterly stated that a lot of disabled supporters “get death threats and are physically abused”.

The duo was all praise for the sensory room at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Sensory Suite at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is simple in its appearance but it has been meticulously thought out providing a calming environment for the supporters to be able to watch the game.
 

Audio-descriptive Commentary (ADC)

In the context of a live football match, the audio-descriptive commentary (ADC) ensures that the partially sighted or blind fan (listener) has a complete understanding of the match he or she is attending and is able to fully enjoy the matchday experience alongside the fellow fans.

Jarosz said that the ADC was “fantastic and the technology is really helping the disabled fans” and Morris echoed similar sentiments and stated, “The visually impaired fans rely on the audio commentary which is fantastic”.

Morris urged the powers that be of the venue industry that while upgrading the arenas with the latest tech trappings “please spare a thought for the disabled supporters”.

Jarosz informed that the AccessibAll provides a platform to the disabled fans “to make them aware of how to help their clubs, how to help the stadium operators and how to help the local community”.
 

Sum-up

A bitter Ted Morris and Olivier Jarosz summed up by stating, “We are constantly trying to give the disabled fans a voice. When you think about the football supporters’ associations in the United Kingdom and the football supporters in Europe there is no representation for the disabled supporters as if they don’t exist. Along with the UEFA we have directed all clubs to implement minimum standards for the disabled supporters or we will make it a regulation. We have to give the disabled children hope that they can enjoy the same experiences enjoyed by a non-disabled child. We just need to give the disabled supporters a voice. It’s 2024 and it’s time.”

There should be a sustained lobbying for inclusion and explicate the experiences of the disabled football fans.

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• AccessibAll
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