CWU puts disabled access to sports stadiums under the spotlight

Union Matters June 12 2018

More must be done to measure the progress being made in making sports stadiums across the country more accessible and welcoming to disabled sports fans, the TUC ‘s annual Disabled Workers Conference has agreed.

Unanimously supporting a motion tabled by the CWU, delegates from across the trade union movement attending last month’s Conference have committed the TUC Disability Committee to draw up a detailed report with the help of the Professional Footballers Association (PFA) and the disability campaigning group Level Playing Field, amongst others.

Proposing the motion, CWU Disability Advisory Committee member Peter Sharrocks pointed out that, although the PFA has been working hard to try to improve matters for disabled football fans, some clubs have done more than others, and access to some stadiums, as well as where disabled fans are positioned, “often leaves them feeling completely short-changed or at worst humiliated.”

Stressing that “sometimes very simple changes which do not cost much make a huge difference to disabled fans’ experience”, Peter congratulated clubs such as Arsenal, Brighton, Everton and Derby for the progress they have made.

In some other stadiums, however, the situation remains “horrific”, leading Peter to conclude: “Given the obscene amounts of money being poured into the Premier League, those clubs simply have no excuse not to make their grounds as disability-friendly as possible.”