The threat of abuse is a barrier to attending sporting events for more disabled fans than ever, a new report says.
The percentage of fans citing disability abuse as a barrier was the highest level (8.5 per cent) recorded in the four years charity Level Playing Field has conducted the annual survey.
That’s despite the survey receiving a record number of respondents this year, with 2,055 responses from a total of 1,924 fans, with some individuals answering for more than one team they follow.
Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out’s most recent annual report for 2023-24 showed a 35 per cent rise in reports of abuse of ability compared to the previous season.
The Level Playing Field 2024 data released Tuesday afternoon showed that the attitude of others was the second highest barrier for 26 percent of participants.
The report said: “Clubs must ensure that there is a clear process for fans to report any disability discrimination they experience on match day and that this process is known to fans. All reports must be taken seriously, investigated and responded to appropriately be given to recognize and act upon any abuse of disability.”
The report explored a wide range of issues related to the live sports experience for disabled fans.
A fifth of respondents said they would benefit from being able to pay cash at venues, while more than a quarter (26.5 per cent) said they would benefit from having a physical ticket.
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Sky Sports News visits Southwark Stars Disability Football Club, which provides life-changing experiences for adults with learning disabilities in London.They provide football opportunities for 100 men and women across London
Nearly half (47 percent) of respondents said they attended the most weeks of meetings, up two percentage points from the number who gave the same answer in 2023.
However, there was a four per cent drop, from 34 per cent to 30 per cent, in those who said they attended once or twice a month, so the proportion of supporters who regularly attend live sport is still slightly down overall.
Physical access to stadiums was the barrier to attendance cited by 33 percent of respondents, but cost concerns were the barrier that saw the biggest increase this year from last year, from 5.5 percent to 22.5 percent.
24.5 percent of the respondents mentioned the difficulty of buying tickets, and 24 percent expressed anxiety or mistrust.
Twenty-two percent said there was a sporting event or venue they felt unable to attend because it was inaccessible, the lowest percentage to say so in the four years of the survey.
“The main positive trend shown by the results is a year-over-year decrease in the number of disabled fans who report that they cannot attend a sports or sporting venue because it is inaccessible,” Level Playing Field president Tony Taylor said in the report.
“The marginal drop in 2024, after the sharp drop last year, is very encouraging. However, it remains completely unacceptable that more than a fifth of disabled sports fans are unable to attend some events due to inaccessibility.”
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History was made at the home of Cricket when MCC played ECB in the first handicap match at Lord’s ground.
Seventy-one percent said accessibility affected the time they arrived at and left the venue, with more than half of that group saying they arrived between one and two hours before kick-off, and more than a quarter left between 15 and five minutes before the end.
Overcrowding concerns were cited as the main reason for early arrival and departure by more than two-thirds of the group.
“In some cases, improving facilities will help alleviate these problems, but it is clear that changing the attitudes of other supporters and implementing effective management will greatly improve the accessibility of events,” the report said.
The report found that ratings for the affordability of places in England and Wales were similar overall to the first report in 2021, where respondents were asked to choose non-existent, very poor, poor, adequate, good, very good, excellent and ‘don’t know’.
One in five disabled fans rated their interactions with stewards as below par, with ratings in 2024 “significantly worse” than 2023, the report said.
