Tony Taylor, Chair of Level Playing Field said,
“Level Playing Field was interested to read the Parliamentary debate held on Wednesday 12th June on Discrimination in Sport.
It is important that everyone participating in, and attending sport, at any level can do so without being subjected to ugly abuse and discrimination.
Yesterday’s debate in Parliament helped to raise the topic of unacceptable discrimination faced by sportsmen and women but we see it as an oversight that spectators were not included. We know from police figures and disabled fans contacting us that disability abuse is on the rise.
Furthermore, once again even at government level, we are faced with a hierarchy of protected characteristics under the Equality Act; racism, homophobia, antisemitism and sexism. In 2010 the Equality Act was passed to protect nine minority groups and that included disability, the largest minority group in any population, and so we ask the press and government alike to stop prioritising certain groups.
Level Playing Field asks anyone witnessing disability abuse at a sports event to report it. We provide support and advice and work closely with clubs and governing bodies to help stamp it out.”
You can read the debate in full here: House of Commons Hansard – Discrimination in Sport.