Accessible football stadia in England - What represents meaningful provision for wheelchair users and how can it be achieved? - The Access Association
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Accessible football stadia in England – What represents meaningful provision for wheelchair users and how can it be achieved?
PhD research – Primary data
collection
Semi-structured in-depth interviews with:
• 20 Spectators who are wheelchair users [28 hours
data];
• 8 key stakeholders with expertise in the design,
operational and commercial aspects of football
stadia [7 hours data].
20 Spectators who are
wheelchair users
Breakdown of spectator interviewees by age and gender
Age No. of males No. of females No. of spectators
16-39 10 2 12
40-64 3 3 6
65 and over 2 0 2
Total 15 5 20
20 Spectators who are
wheelchair users
Breakdown of spectators by age and length of time
using wheelchair
Age Childhood wheelchair Adult No. of spectators
user wheelchair
user
16-39 8 4 12
40-64 2 4 6
65 and over 0 2 2
Total 10 10 20
Accessible seating: Wheelchair bays There’s plenty of room for me and the person who has come with me. Usually there is a wheelchair space and then two seats next to it for a companion, and then another wheelchair space (Spectator 17, 2016).
Accessible seating: Wheelchair bays Some places are a bit of a squeeze to get your wheelchair in. The space is a bit cramped (Spectator 8, 2016).
Accessible seating area: PA seating The wheelchair bays are next to the companion seats, so we can sit together. My dad sits right next to me. We love that, if the team score a goal, we can celebrate together (Spectator 19, 2016).
Accessible seating area: PA seating They have the companion seat on the row behind you so I don’t really feel like I’m with them, or that I can chat to them. Because I don’t want to be shouting across when I need the toilet, or if I want a drink (Spectator 14, 2016).
Accessible seating area: PA seating There are a few stadia that I’ve been to where there isn’t a seat for the assistant and they have had to stand the whole time (Spectator 10, 2016).
Accessible seating area: Pitch level seating Sightlines from pitch level viewing areas should be unobstructed by officials or hoardings (SGSA, 2004).
Pitch level seating: Sightlines My view was blocked again by the press photographers who were sat in front of me for the whole game (Spectator 5, 2016).
Pitch level seating: Sightlines The people who really annoy me are the roving cameramen and the photographers…. (Spectator 3, 2016).
Pitch level seating: Restricted views You can’t see the pitch cos your view’s obstructed… the Sky Sports cameraman is in the way (Spectator 1, 2016)
Pitch level seating: Inclement weather I’m pitch-side and when it is raining, you can get absolutely drenched. It’s quite an old stadium and it can be quite breezy at times (Spectator 7, 2016).
Accessible seating area: Elevated seating Sightlines unblocked even when spectators in front stand up.
Elevated seating: Sightlines
When the stadium is empty the wheelchair user seating area looks like
it is in an ideal location with good sightlines to the pitch, but there are
seats directly in front. The seats themselves are low enough to cause
no viewing restriction but as with nearly all football stadia….
wheelchair users
cannot see the
game because
people stand
throughout the
entirety of the
match
(Spectator 12,
2016).Elevated seating: Sightlines empty stadium
Same stadium: Sightlines pre-match
Same stadium: Sightlines during match
Accessible toilets: Football stadia
Accessible toilets: ‘Changing Places’ facility
Good practice: ‘Changing Places’ facility
Because now we’ve got
the Changing Places.
That is just amazing….
the hoist and the bench.
That definitely makes it
far easier. You don’t have
to worry now when you
go to the match
(Spectator 2, 2016).Poor provision: Accessible toilets
At my ground the disabled
toilets are appalling. You
have to fight your way into
a tiny toilet with no room
to move. There are simple
things that need doing
such as attaching working
locks to the cubicle doors
(Spectator 4, 2016).Poor provision: Accessible toilets There never seems to be enough space in them and sometimes the drop down rails don’t help because they are so close, they are in the way (Spectator 6, 2016).
What represents meaningful provision for wheelchair users? There may be other recommendations and guidance that cover the provision of stadia services and facilities, but this is what emerged from the interviews. 1. Disability Equality Training & respect Regularly review and update the Disability Equality Training programme; Establish a procedure for dealing with inappropriate attitudes of stadium staff and volunteers; Sponsor an initiative to encourage respect for disabled spectators: Other spectators
Prioritise Disability Equality Training for all club and stadium staff
Sponsor an initiative to encourage respect for disabled spectators: Other stadia personnel
2. External area Consult with disabled supporters to allow a fair and reasonable provision of parking spaces; Allocate in addition of 6% of total car parking capacity for blue badge holders; Ensure that the route taken from parking is barrier-free and the shortest possible; Provide smooth and level approach routes; Ensure the route to/from the venue is adequately signposted and well-lit; Provide knowledgeable and helpful stewards to assist with wayfinding
Ensure that designated and allocated parking bays are supervised to prevent misuse
3. Internal services and facilities Increase the number of accessible seating to at least the minimum standard; Provide accessible seating that meets guidance in terms of size and location; Locate the companion seat alongside the wheelchair user space; Provide clean and dedicated toilet facilities in close proximity to the accessible seating; Ensure that a sufficient number of accessible toilets are provided; Ensure that toilet facilities are monitored by stadium staff and checked regularly; Install a Changing Places toilet facility, if possible at both ends of the stadium
Ensure that away supporters are located with their own spectators, not the home fans
Provide unrestricted views/sightlines from the pitch-side accessible seating areas
Provide unrestricted views/sightlines from the elevated accessible seating areas
4. Management and operational issues Employ knowledgeable and helpful ticket office staff who are well trained; Deliver equal availability of season tickets for wheelchair users; Facilitate flexible provision so family members can be located together; Employ a full-time Disability Liaison Officer/Disability & Access Officer; Establish a consultation process that facilitates the participation of wheelchair users; Maintain ongoing engagement with wheelchair users and facilitate their participation
Provide an online booking facility for wheelchair users
Ensure that ticketing is managed by the central ticket office, not Disabled Supporter Associations
Interviews with eight key
stakeholders
Key stakeholder Area of expertise
Adviser sports marketing and branding Football commerce/marketing
Football consultant, former CEO football club Football commerce/marketing
Architect Stadia design
Local Authority access officer, planning Stadia design
Inspector, Sports Grounds Safety Authority Stadia design
Independent access consultant Stadia operation/management
Senior Inclusive design manager Stadia operation/management
Match day steward Stadia operation/managementKey Stakeholders: Football
commerce
A high-value
customer isn’t
necessarily
someone in a
wheelchair
(Sports
marketing
adviser, 2017).
If you are letting in carers for free, creating extra space, the
starting point will be, “well we might have been able to put five
seats in there and sell them at full price” (Football consultant,
2017).The slow pace of change in football For a multitude of cultural, organisational and governance reasons, football has never been forced to change (Sports marketing adviser, 2017). Football has always been very complacent in its attitude to supporters…because the attitude has always been “well they will come anyway, so it doesn’t matter what we do”. And that, unfortunately is largely still true (Football consultant, 2017).
Key Stakeholders: Stadia
design
Viewed as:
(i) Something for
consideration by the
architect;
(ii) A process of
influencing clubs by the
Local Authority;
(iii) A matter of
compliance by the sports
grounds inspector
The disabled parties [sic] were kept properly informed and
consulted during the design and planning process (Architect,
2017).The Local Authority looks at this from a planning point of view and we will try to encourage football clubs to make the right decision (Local Authority officer, 2017).
If you look at many of the problems that exist, you could ask the question why do we have a myriad of sports grounds around the country that are beneath those set as minimum standards in the building regulations? (Inspector, 2017).
The research highlighted the importance of stadia management and operation. Accessibility is not just physical access to the stadium, it goes much deeper into how those services are managed, what the club’s policies are and how staff are trained to deal with things (Local Authority officer, 2017).
Key Stakeholders: Stadia operation/
management
I always talk to disabled
spectators to get their
experiences. It gives the
club an idea if there are
any dislikes or
improvements that they
would like the club to
address… things that we
might not have thought
about that disabled
supporters tell us
(Independent access
consultant, 2017).We use the access panel for all the work we have done on the stadium. There are wheelchair users on the panel (Inclusive design manager, 2017).
The importance of disability
equality training
For me training is
the most
important thing …
especially for us
stewards. It really
helps you to
understand, you
know, to do your
job better (Match-
day steward,
2017).Main conclusions Research identified five proposals for improvement : 1. Changing legislation and building regulations 2. Revising accessible stadia guidance 3. Engaging with disabled end users 4. Co-ordinating stadia management and operation 5. Recognising the need for change
Significant findings: Wheelchair size
We have not kept up with the
improved technology of
wheelchairs. Future design
recommendations should include
consultation with wheelchair
developers to see how the
technology might be improved in
10-15 years.
This would give them an insight
into how the dimensions provided
for wheelchair spaces need to be
increased to accommodate
wheelchair users.Comments from Viva panel The key contribution of this PhD research is providing user experience that suggests an urgent need for improvements to legislation, building regulations and revisions to stadia guidance and that current design practice might use this evidence to pre-empt such legislative requirements. Thesis presents an extended approach that can be applied to an area (stadia) that has woefully neglected to include the experience of disabled spectators, especially wheelchair users in consideration of its physical and service design.
Looking to the future: Proposed new football stadia
and stands
Current:
Tottenham Hotspur Pending:
Exeter City Aberdeen In the pipeline:
Plymouth Argyle AFC Wimbledon Bournemouth
Stevenage Barnet Chelsea
Gloucester City Boreham Wood Dundee
York City Boston United Everton
Brentford Crystal Palace Forest Green Rovers
Accrington Stanley Ebbsfleet United Grimsby Town
Fulham Luton Town
Liverpool
Manchester City
Manchester United
Scunthorpe United
Sheffield UnitedWe have 28 opportunities to influence the design and management of stadia
Rita Ochoa Architect, AFL Architects, 2018 “It is not only our role as architects to create these spaces, but to contribute to the conversation of revenue and sustainability. A fundamental part of this is making stadia accessible and welcoming for all members of society. Stadia, after all, are some of the most democratic social spaces on the planet.”
Thank you for listening
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