Recent study ranks all Premier League stadiums by accessibility.
With the popularity of football in the UK and the great success of the England team in this year’s Euros, clubs and fans are glad to return to full capacity stadiums. However, what does that mean for disabled supporters? How accessible are the stadiums for spectators that rely on wheelchairs and mobility aids?
Age UK reveals research that looked into the accessibility of Premier League teams, their stadiums and what accessibility options they offer for disabled fans. Through comparing accessibility features at each stadium, combined with Trip Advisor ratings, Age UK have ranked all 20 Premier League teams from most accessible to least. Check out where your team is on the list!
From the research some stadiums are better than others in terms of accessibility for disabled supporters, whereas with others, there is still significant work needed to become more inclusive. However, it should be noted that even the ‘least accessible’ clubs are still accessible for fans with mobility issues, with work needed to become more accessible to individuals with a range of disabilities and impairments.
Top 5 Most Accessible Clubs: Brighton & Hove Albion, Southampton, Watford, Everton and Manchester City
Top 5 Least Accessible Clubs: Burnley, Manchester United, Norwich City, Leeds United and West Ham United.
Smaller Stadiums have More Accessibility
Interestingly, the research shows that on average, smaller stadiums have greater accessibility when compared to larger stadiums. Some of the larger, expensive and modern stadiums don’t rank as high as smaller stadiums such as Brighton and Hove Albion, Southampton and Watford.
Being top of the list, Brighton and Hove Albion received a ‘yes’ for all disability factors including accessible entrances, accessible lifts, assistive hearing systems and assistive animals welcome). With 220 disabled seats throughout the stadium, it has by far the largest percentage of wheelchair seats per capacity.
The ‘Big Six’
The study revealed that not one of the so called ‘Big Six’ made it into the top three. Brighton and Hove Albion, Southampton and Watford (who just got promoted) scored ‘yes’ for all disability factors used. Those with recent stadium upgrades surprisingly didn’t even make it to the top ten.
In 2015, only two of the 20 clubs in the Premier League, provided the recommended access for disabled people in proportion to their stadium capacity. Through relentless campaigning from disabled supporters and frequent threats of legal action from their representatives, the accessibility of Premier League stadiums has increased significantly. However, the recent study shows that there is still work to be done, particularly for the teams with the larger stadiums.
Overall, the study revealed that Premier League stadiums are accessible for supporters with disabilities. Even those that ranked at the bottom of the table are still accessible and offer a variety of facilities aimed at being more inclusive to their disabled fanbase.