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Accessible venues

Here we provide UK minimum access standards for new and existing stadia and for good practice guidance.

The best way to gain an understanding on what to expect from a stadium (both existing and new) is to take a look at the below ‘Access for All Guide’ and then the ‘Accessible Stadia document’. Other resources contain helpful guidance from the various football authorities and other organisations including LPF.

Access for All (2011)

CEN/TR 15913:2009 “Spectator facilities. Layout criteria for viewing area for spectators with special needs”

The report cannot be downloaded but is available from: The European Committee for Standardisation, Management Centre Avenue Marnix 17, B-1000 Brussels (Ref. No. CEN/TR 15913:2009) or see CEN website

For an introductory note to the report, view the following CAFE information note.

Accessible Stadia 2003

In particular see page 37 to determine how many accessible seats a club should be providing)

Accessible stadia

SGSA Accessible Stadia Supplementary Guidance (August 2015)

The Premier League Guidance

The Football League Guidance

The FA Guidance

Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds – Fifth Edition

Level Playing Field Guidance

Other Organisations

A club/venue complying with these will be well on the way to providing a fully inclusive and equal experience for all supporters. These documents (amongst others) are now considered to be the minimum requirements for an accessible stadium or for the provision of accessible services but it should also be remembered that minimum standards, by definition, usually only provide for minimum access; truly inclusive planning for the whole community means going beyond the bare minimum and thinking of the future so that designers and management should always try to aim higher when building or renovating venues and premises, to encompass the needs of a widely diverse and ever ageing community. Additionally, as the 2010 Equality Act provides for an evolving and anticipatory duty, what was acceptable in the past may no longer be so and thus a regular review of facilities and services becomes an important requirement too (see below for how an Access Audit can help achieve this).

NB: Please also note that most of these documents refer to the Disability Discrimination Act most of which has now been replaced by The Equality Act 2010.

An Access Audit will help benchmark facilities and services plus help Clubs/Venues meet their legal obligations and mitigate any potential risks. Level Playing Field has developed an Access Audit programme which provides a cost effective, independent audit with added aspects not available elsewhere. It makes real business sense for Clubs / Venues to be proactive rather than reactive in this regard. Click here for more detailed information about the LPF Access Audit Programme.