Good Governance Needs Access and Inclusion

Disabled people represent the world’s largest minority group at 15% of the global population. Football is the world’s most popular sport, with a large following of disabled fans. However, inaccessible infrastructure, services, information, policies and procedures result in discrimination of disabled people and exclusion from taking part in the game. To ensure a truly accessible environment for all, and one where disabled people can take their rightful place in the game, it is vital that sporting authorities work with their disabled stakeholders. Positive dialogue between a National Football Association (NA), League or Club and their disabled supporters leads to sustainable improvements that genuinely benefit the local disabled population. National umbrella Disabled Supporter Associations (NDSA), uniting disabled fans and their groups, work towards a common goal of improving access and inclusion in football. NDSAs facilitate improved relationships with their NA and League, allowing faster progress to be made on a national scale. This model can influence other sports and even lead to changes in national legislation. This project aims to demonstrate the good governance in sport requires positive collaboration and dialogue with disabled stakeholders by:Supporting the development of 3 existing National umbrella Disabled Supporters Associations (NDSA);Improving dialogue between each NDSA and their national football association and league;Understanding the main barriers faced by disabled people in attending matches in each participating country;Understanding whether disabled fans feel they are valued by their league or NA;Creating a national strategy to improve access and inclusion for disabled spectators in each countryEvaluating the impact of collaboration between NDSAs, Leagues and NAs on good governanceCreating a roadmap for sporting bodies in other countries to implement