Kicking Sports Facility Disability Inequality into Touch

Gone are the days when the image of disabled football fans was of a few wheelchairs crammed into one corner of the ground. The 1995 Disability Discrimination Act has changed this forever. It is unlawful to provide a service on different terms, on the grounds of disability. Sports venues are specifically covered. The legislation and issues surrounding disabled access in sports stadia are, in some cases, ambiguous.

Stadia design must meet the requirements of the English and Welsh Building Regulations. Approved Document M, covering disabled access, is, therefore, relevant. It relates to all new or refurbished non domestic buildings. Inevitably, there is uncertainty in its application to sports stadia. For example, it states that there should be one wheelchair space for every 100 seats in a newly constructed stadium or new section of an existing ground - 150 spaces in a 15,000 capacity stadium. There is the proviso that, in a large stadium, a smaller proportion may suffice. Although, what constitutes a large stadium is not stated.

Of equal relevance is the Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds, commonly referred to as the Green Guide. Whilst, it is not statutory law, it is an essential source of reference. The guide makes specific recommendations on disabled spectator accommodation. It defines a large stadium as one with a seated capacity of 10,000 or more and uses a sliding scale to calculate the number of wheelchair spaces. For stadia with more than 40,000 seats, the recommendation is for a base figure of 210 wheelchair spaces, with two additional spaces for every extra 1,000 seats. It advises that spaces for semi ambulant and wheelchair spectators should be dispersed throughout every section of the stadium with space for helpers to sit alongside.

If wheelchair spectators are to be accommodated in raised viewing areas, as the Green Guide indicates, how do they gain access? Approved Document M states that passenger lift access should be provided if the usable area of an upper tier exceeds 280 square metres, Where the floor area is between 100 and 280 square metres and the storey contains a unique facility, such as an executive box or a viewing lounge, it would be reasonable to provide a stair lift. Specialist platform lifts, like our Companion Prestige and Supreme models, are viable alternatives.

The new National Stadium at Wembley, should it be built, will, undoubtedly, be regarded as a flagship facility. Unlike its predecessor, the design of the new stadium provides excellent facilities for the disabled. The planning application, details how the Green Guide’s recommendations will be met. For example, 310 wheelchair spaces are included, the stipulated number for a 90,000 seat stadium. The spaces are dispersed throughout the ground, at various levels, enabling wheelchair spectators to sit with their own team supporters. A specialist access committee, including members of the National Association of Disabled Supporters (NADS), will be formed to ensure that the proposed facilities are acceptable.

It would appear, however, that many football clubs are not following the new Wembley’s example. They appear reluctant to sacrifice seats in prime locations and ignore the recommendations made in the Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds. A Football Task Force report to the Government, in 1999, highlighted that several new stands had been built without any wheelchair spaces. As a result, the Government has directed that lottery funding will only be made available to schemes, where local disabled groups have been consulted.

In spite of this threat, many football clubs appear to put commercial gain before the provision of acceptable wheelchair accommodation. It is time, therefore, that specific statutory legislation is introduced. The Football Task Force report recommends that a sliding scale for the provision of wheelchair spaces, as contained within the “Green Guide”, be adopted as a legal requirement under amended building regulations. Consultation with disabled supporters associations, such as NADS, must also be a part of the process.