The positive legacy, five years on from the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s final report on Premier League clubs’ accessibility, emphasises the urgent need for a permanent mandate.
In 2015, following a sustained campaign from Level Playing Field and disabled supporters for standards at the elite level to be improved, all Premier League clubs pledged to enhance their stadium facilities and align the numbers of wheelchair user spaces with the requirements set out in the Accessible Stadia Guide (ASG). Overall, clubs involved in the process which followed over the next three years are dramatically outperforming their counterparts.
The 2018 state of play report covered 14 of the current Premier League clubs, with 12 of them now meeting the Accessible Stadia Guide’s minimum requirements for wheelchair user spaces, based on their own access statements. Significant improvements have also been made in other areas of accessibility across the division.
Only one of the six remaining Premier League clubs meets the minimum requirements for wheelchair user spaces, meaning more than a third of the division falls short on this standard alone.
Chair of Level Playing Field, Tony Taylor, said: “The reports which followed the pledge from Premier League clubs showed an immediate impact from that commitment, and the continued developments from those involved have significantly improved the experiences many of disabled fans.
“It is deeply concerning to see that this momentum has not carried across to many of the clubs promoted since then, with only one of the elite level’s current sides which was not part of the Commission’s work meeting the minimum requirements for wheelchair user spaces.
“This emphasises the need for continued oversight. Clubs must be mandated to reach a required set of standards for accessibility, or in many cases it will not be a priority.
“We have been pleased by the change in attitudes towards accessibility, in this time. Cooperation with clubs has risen and we have seen substantial increases in resources directed towards changing places facilities, sensory rooms and other infrastructural enhancements.
“The Premier League has made great strides in this area and has the potential to be the undisputed global leader on accessibility in sport. Five years on from the culmination of this ground-breaking project, we hope they take up that opportunity.”
Level Playing Field has launched its third annual fan survey, to gather valuable insight on the current matchday experiences of disabled sports fans across all divisions. Individual reports are sent to clubs, providing a clearer picture of their specific areas of improvement and weakness alongside wider trends.
Extensive information from the Equality and Human Rights Commission’s findings on disabled access at Premier League football clubs can be found on their website.
Premier League clubs provide current details in publicly available access statements, on their websites.
You can fill in the 2023 Level Playing Field annual fan survey here and view the 2022 results here.