The Level Playing Field South Forum welcomed disabled fans, club representatives and other key stakeholders from across sports, to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
100 guests attended the charity’s first regional forum since the pandemic, with different experiences of accessibility from across all levels of professional sport represented in the room.
Discussions took place on enhancing fan engagement for disabled sports fans and evolving perspectives on disability language, as well as a guest talk from the Royal National Institute of Blind People.
Spurs provided a tour of the stadium’s accessible facilities and disability access officer, Simon Blewit, joined SpursAbility’s Dee Bright and the legendary Gary Mabbutt, for a conversation on relationships between clubs, disabled supporters’ associations and wider fanbases.
Beyond that, there was an opportunity to network and further sessions catered specifically for disabled supporters’ associations and staff working for clubs, venues or other organisations.
Level Playing Field chief executive, Owain Davies, said: “I am delighted by the success of the Level Playing Field South Forum.
“A great deal of thanks must go to the team at Spurs for helping us put on such a fantastic event.
“I am also grateful to the RNIB for their contribution. On a day where we put so much focus on encouraging collaboration, it was an asset to be able to lean on the expertise of one of our partners.
“It is vital for us to constantly hear from those we serve as a charity, so having direct contact with disabled fans through in-person forums helps us build on that.
“Providing the opportunity for discussion between fans and staff from across sports and divisions, with different perspectives on accessibility and inclusion, is also hugely beneficial for developing understanding.
“I was very pleased to see the level of engagement in the room, with a strong appetite for learning and challenging debate. This will have provided an immediate positive impact for attendees, but also helps us strategise moving forward.”
Level Playing Field looks forward to sharing details on upcoming in-person forums across other regions.