To help celebrate Level Playing Field’s ‘Unite for Access’ campaign, which is set to run between Saturday 1 March and Sunday 16 March, we caught up with a handful of members of the West Ham United Disabled Supporters Association (WHUDSA).
‘Unite for Access’ is an annual period of inspiration and celebration of good access and inclusion at sports venues. Every year, the campaign helps to recognise why watching live sport is so important to disabled supporters and what is in place to ensure access and inclusion, with fans coming together to mark the occasion.
Here at West Ham, the WHUDSA has regular meetings with the Club, the accessibility team and pertinent staff, and strives to further improve the matchday experience for disabled supporters at London Stadium and for those attending away matches.
Ahead of Thursday evening’s Premier League clash against Leicester City, WHUDSA’s Campaign Secretary Mick Hancock, Co-Chair Cathy Bayford and fellow board members Sheryl McRae, David Puckett and Joe Seigel, along with ‘Unite for Access’ Development Officer Daniel Townley, discussed the experiences, challenges and progress made by the group, as well as the importance of Level Playing Field’s campaign.
How was the WHUDSA formed?
Mick Hancock: “The WHUDSA was launched in 2022 and grew from the success of the Disabled Supporters Board, initially established in 2017. At the moment, I think there are 2,000 fans registered as disabled supporters, 800 of which are Season Ticket Holders [at West Ham United], and out of that we’re closing in on 400 DSA members.
“We work closely with the Club’s accessibility team and have a seat on the Fan Advisory Board as well, which is always guided by Level Playing Field, the Football Supporters’ Association and the Premier League.”
How does the WHUDSA work with the Club to enhance the experience for disabled supporters?
Mick Hancock: “We have meetings quite regularly, around three or four a season with the Club, and we all meet individually to try and promote the DSA and help spread awareness. Our Co-Chair, Cathy Bayford, also chats with the Club’s Disabled Access Officer, Julie Pidgeon, after most home games, giving the opportunity to raise any matchday issues so they can be resolved as quickly as possible.
“There’s still some way to go, but we’re well looked after. It’s hugely important to have that relationship, as you need to know you’re all pulling in the same direction, that you understand each other’s point of view and what is and isn’t possible. Having a strong relationship with the Club is always the most effective way to solve problems.”
What initiatives have been introduced to improve accessibility at the Club?
David Puckett: “On a matchday the Club supplies a free shuttle bus service for disabled supporters. We’re picked up from either Platform 13 at Stratford Station or from Stratford International Station and we’re granted a boarding pass for ourselves and one carer and taken to London Stadium. We’re then picked up and taken back to the station afterwards.
“We have limited designated parking spaces within close proximity of the stadium, for which there is a waiting list. However, the stadium is situated close to Westfield Shopping Centre, and the Club helps facilitate onward travel to the stadium from there.”
Joe Seigel: “There’s been a lot of improvement in recent years, and we’ve now got accessible lanes outside the ground, which not only helps those with mobility issues, but also means we don’t have to queue in such tight spaces. There are also sensory rooms and lowered counters at the catering kiosks, which have been fantastic. For me personally, it’s the accessible lanes that are most beneficial. They help lower my stress levels on a matchday, and that allows me to feel a lot calmer and safer.”
What does the ‘Unite for Access’ campaign aim to achieve?
Daniel Townley: “The idea of the campaign is to highlight the importance of access and inclusion and to raise the voices of disabled fans. The way we do that is through clubs usually promoting the campaign on a certain matchday. It’s just about making fans in the stadium aware that access and inclusion is important, and about some of the different services and facilities that clubs have available for disabled people when they attend live sport.”
What steps would you like to see taken next to improve accessibility in football?
Daniel Townley: “There are a lot of new initiatives that are continually being invented and updated, and it’s about letting clubs know what they are and helping them to integrate them.
“For example, lots of clubs now have disabled changing facilities, which can make a really big difference for disabled fans when they attend live sport. There are services like audio description commentary, and lots of clubs will have sensory rooms for some of their neurodivergent supporters.
“One of the big issues we’re seeing at the moment is a rise, unfortunately, in disability abuse, so a key step is ensuring any abuse is reported properly, so that we can stamp out any discrimination.”
What plans does the WHUDSA have to help promote awareness going forward?
Sheryl McRae: “We’re going to be promoting the DSA throughout the AFC Bournemouth home fixture, on Saturday 5 April. Group members will be out in force on two of the bridges at London Stadium, handing out pin badges and stickers to everybody. We’ll also be handing out cards with QR codes on them, which people can scan to access our website and social media pages.
“Anyone can come and speak to us at any point. If they’ve got anything they want to say to us, good or bad, then that’s what we’re there for. Any fan can just come and have a chat, and hopefully we can help them and guide them by pointing them in the right direction.”
Cathy Bayford: “As Mick has already pointed out, the DSA has a place on the Club’s Fan Advisory Board. Fan Advisory Boards are now a Premier League requirement, the primary purpose of which is discussion, the exchanging of information and the securing of feedback from a fan’s perspective. We want to ensure we are the voice of our disabled supporters and aim to maintain contact and collate fan feedback through the DSA website. Please sign up if you haven’t already done so.”
To find out more about the WHUDSA, to sign up as a member or if you are interested in playing a more active role on the board, please email [email protected] or click HERE.
To find out more about Level Playing Field’s ‘Unite for Access’ campaign, click HERE.
To contact the Club directly regarding accessibility, or to register as a disabled supporter, please email [email protected]
