Stockport County is proud to be supporting Level Playing Field’s annual ‘Unite for Access’ campaign this Tuesday, supporting their work in representing disabled football fans.
The Unite for Access campaign runs from Saturday 25 February to Sunday 12 March, and aims to raise awareness and drive equality for a more inclusive match day experience for disabled sports fans.
Level Playing Field conducted a survey last year which found that nearly 29% of disabled fans considered the ‘attitudes of others’ to be a barrier when attending live sports. This needs to change.
To raise awareness of the campaign, the players will be wearing dedicated ‘Unite for Access’ shirts during the warm-ups, ahead of our game against Gillingham tonight, with further information available in our match day programme.
To find out more about Level Playing Field and their campaign, see below:
Who is ‘Level Playing Field’?
Level Playing Field is a sports charity that acts as a campaigning and advisory organisation for disabled sports fans.
The charity supports disabled sports fans through the following channels:
Membership programme
As a user-led organisation, Level Playing Field members are at the heart of what the charity does. Their shared passion for sport and equality drives them to influence long-term change and improve the spectator experience for all disabled fans.
The Level Playing Field ‘fan’ membership is free to join, and includes the following benefits:
- Weekly ‘match day’ newsletter
- Quarterly ‘fan’-specific exclusive newsletter
- Invites to take part in events including forums and focus groups
- Official Membership Certificate
- It’s free to become a member
Other benefits include:
- Access to independent, expert advice and guidance on access and inclusion issues.
- Opportunity to feedback on access and Inclusion through LPF’s annual survey.
- Opportunity to network with other disabled fans, fan groups, and disability/sports organisations.
To become a Level Playing Field member, click here or contact [email protected].
Active Level Playing Field initiatives
Level Playing Field runs a range of active initiatives and services for disabled sports fans., which include:
- The Level Playing Field podcast – A monthly podcast series with exclusive guests from across the sporting community.
- Have Your Say – We ask disabled fans for their feedback, whether it’s positive or negative, from their experience at live sports events
- Club Pages – Level Playing Field offers accessibility information for all clubs from the Premier League, EFL, and National League to help disabled supporters plan and enjoy their matchday.
Level Playing Field’s work
Level Playing Field works behind the scenes with clubs to help improve accessibility at sports venues to ensure disabled supporters can experience the best possible match day.
Common areas of improvement are sensory rooms, accessible toilets, audio commentary, and accessible club shops and food concession stands that include drop-down counters.
Areas of improvement can be highlighted by clubs through Level Playing Field services such as:
- Access Audits by NRAC (National Register of Access Consultants)
- Club staff training
- Expert advice and guidance
If you would like to keep updated with Level Playing Field’s work, follow them on social media.
