West Ham United played host to Level Playing Field’s regional forum, an event which fosters meaningful connections and discussions between disabled supporters and clubs’ representatives across the region’s sporting landscape.
As today (Tuesday 3 December 2024), marks International Day of Persons with Disabilities, with this year’s theme being ‘amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future’, hosting the event confirmed the Club’s commitment to providing a welcoming, safe and inclusive environment for all supporters and visitors to London Stadium.
Level Playing Field, a campaigning and advisory organisation to its membership and other parties across all sports, hosted their annual regional forum at London Stadium, an event which was dedicated to fostering inclusion and accessibility in attending live sport, with discussions between disabled fans, club staff and other key stakeholders.
The event was attended by members of the Disabled Supporters’ Association and West Ham United’s Supporter Services staff, who along with other attendees took part in collaborative and networking sessions with fellow supporters, club representatives, and industry experts. It was a real opportunity to forge new connections and build relationships which will create lasting positive change.
West Ham United's commitment to accessibility
One of the Valuable 500 companies working together for disability inclusion, West Ham have numerous measures in place across multiple areas to support people with a hidden disability. These include:
- 468 accessible matchday shuttle bus services are provided by West Ham United each year
- Supporters can contact the Club to request an access card, which allows them utilise lifts and designated accessibility lanes at the London Stadium on matchdays.
- All front-line staff have been trained to support those with hidden disabilities and they wear the Hidden Sunflower badges so they can be easily identified.
- A Sensory Room is in place at London Stadium to provide a space for people with sensory needs to enjoy Hammers matchdays in a calm and comfortable. environment, which has been developed in close conjunction with the Disabled Supporters’ Board (DSB).
- Bespoke matchday commentary is available for visually impaired and blind supporters. There are 70 accessible headsets available for supporters at the London Stadium.
- British Sign Language (BSL) staff are available to support spectators at the London Stadium. Both the matchday supporter liaison team and the disabled supporter assistance team have staff members who are trained in BSL Level One in order to provide additional support for those that are deaf or hard-of-hearing.
- A dedicated expert team are in place to help disabled supporters on matchday, who can be identified by pink bibs. The team, who come from a variety of backgrounds, are experts in understanding the complex need of disabled supporters.
Co-Chair and Co-Founder of the West Ham United’s Disabled Supporters Board, Cathy Bayford said: “It was a pleasure to host the Level Playing Field forum at London Stadium. Not only have we taken part in workshops and discussions, but it has also given us the opportunity to showcase the world of the Disabled Supporters Association and highlight the robust relationship our Disabled Supporters Board has with West Ham United. This was evident as we listed some of the initiatives we have seen implemented with us working with the Club to improve the matchday experience for fans with accessibility issues.”
Chief Executive at Level Playing Field, Owain Davies said: “These types of events are paramount to being able to deliver good levels of access. We fundamentally believe that decisions for disabled people are made by disabled people, so we need to ensure that, through the lens of what we’re trying to achieve, disabled people are in the middle of that. They’re lived experience with strong data and expertise. You look at Cathy [Bayford] and Trevor [Bright] from the West Ham United Disabled Supporters Association and how they offer it on a local level directly for West Ham and the success they’ve had from it.
“Level Playing Field hosts four forums each year that are regionally split between the south, midlands, the north, and Wales as well, so the whole idea of the event at London Stadium was to bring all of the fans together, and as a charity we represent the views of disabled fans, but to make change we need to listen to fans and work with clubs to provide the solutions, and often clubs are already delivering solutions. It’s been a very insightful afternoon, and it was an opportunity to listen, bring those points forward, and make changes in order to reinforce good practices.”
The Disabled Supporters’ Association (DSA) is the key conduit between West Ham United’s accessibility supporters and the West Ham United Board and senior management. Chaired by Cathy Bayford and Trevor Bright.
For more information about the Disabled Supporters’ Association (DSA), click HERE.
