Accessible Football
In order for football supporters with a disability to be present at the tournaments of their favourite club, they have to overcome a number of obstacles. That is why Intro, in consultation with the Flemish minister of Equal Opportunities, took the initiative to get the different parties involved around the table. To achieve this, Intro joint up with Enter (Flemisch center of expertise on Accesibility)
People involved in the discussion: KBVB, Supporters federation of professional football clubs (SFP), Fans on Wheels, Profliga, cabinet Sport, cabinet Equal Opportunities, ‘football’ cell of the department of the interior, Enter, centre of racism and equal opportunities, Blue Army on Wheels, Yellow red army on Wheels and Intro. Recently Open Stadium Fund, the Walloon cabinet of Sport, the Walloon Agency for the Integration of Handicapped Persons (AWIPH) and the Walloon cabinet of Equal Opportunities joined the discussion.
In this dialogue several points of action have already been outlined.
The project ensures that stewards and those responsible for safety are given the necessary courses on accessibility. Apart from that, two representatives of premier league (Anderlecht and Westerlo) are subjected to an audit by Enter, later on other clubs will also be evaluated.
In cooperation with the Open Stadium Fund an awareness campaign will be set up.
Also Fans on Wheels, a club that brings people together across different supporters’ associations, focuses on disabled supporters together with Intro. Fans on Wheel was founded in 2007 by a disabled football fan and strives to improve the accessibility of football stadiums. Through close consultation with football clubs and stadium builders, the accessibility of stadiums can be improved, especially as many clubs have new building plans. Fans on Wheels aspires specifically to a separate ticketing system, easy access to the stadium, good seats, accessible foot and drink stalls, adapted toilets, disabled parking provisions, … Moreover Fans on Wheels wants to centralize ticket sales to disabled people and their companions. In the future Fans on Wheels also wants to provide dedicated bus trips, so disabled supporters can attend ‘away matches’ more easily. For more information feel see the Fans on Wheels website.