23 August 2023 , 14:58
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I know, I know, I write about wall-to-wall bad news about Disabled people all the time. It’s impossible to run into a Disabled person without a random horror story being thrown up and at you. At the moment, I’m chasing anyone with a disability round supermarkets and cafes to tell them about a local access group I’ve set up, and the stories are coming thick and fast. (I’m still trying to fathom how the amputee I spoke to yesterday can’t get a powerchair or scooter funded through the state. What is he supposed to do? Hop?) But sometimes – very occasionally – I have cause to hope.
This week’s hope comes from a place I really wasn’t expecting it to. Spurs. Anyone who follows football will tell you that hope was a distant dream for the team last season, as they lost match after match by some margin, but this season, regime change, and London’s finest (not recanting that team moniker, I’m an East End girl) are playing with hella gusto and delivering hope.
And that includes hope – and joy – for us Disabled fans. Because my goodness, is the homeland accessible. I mean not just a little bit. I mean Palm Sunday level, concierges with bowing and palm leaf fans (ok, no palm leaf fans) greeting you and providing service and access the like of which I would imagine you only see frequently if you’re Beyonce (for real – she actually did see this level of service – Bey chose the stadium for her recent London concerts).
They’ve got a disability access scheme with more bells and whistles than I’ve seen even at a Morris dancing convention. Spurs has an experienced Disability Access Officer, a Disability Supervisor, and a new Fan Advisory Board which actively seeks out and includes Disabled members to fill them in on what works and what doesn’t.
Anna's view from the press areaThey’ve got BSL tours, a BSL guide person, BSL on the big screen for interviews, allergen info and vegan and gluten free refreshment options, lifts with sunny concierges operating them so you don’t need to get your finger stuck pressing a button, guide dog bowls, and guide dog spend a penny areas.
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They have hearing loops, live audio descriptions, sixty-six accessible loos, three changing places, a sensory room, and a viewing platform to act as a halfway house for people who want to test the waters between sitting in the sensory room and experiencing the full possibly overwhelming roar of the crowd.
There are ear defenders, ear plugs, fidget toys, coloured sensory screens to view through, trained sensory professionals, info in alternative formats, familiarisation tours, journey stories for people with learning disabilities and neurodiverse conditions who need to know how things will pan out in advance, and uncluttered wheelchair platforms with companion seats. I’m breathless (and yes, they’ve got oxygen for that). I tried to find fault, and I did. I found a singular fuzzy font on a menu. And that was it. This never happens. Never.
It's not just about the fans either. They actively employ Disabled people. As we rolled up into the stadium proper, and the doors were opened, and the roar (and the body heat) of 62,000 fans hit us, Stephen was there to greet us with an actual bow. An absolute gent, attentive to the needs of everyone on his patch, and an employed Disabled person. Not because he’s Disabled, but because he rocks. And because the club realises we are assets, not liabilities.
I didn’t feel othered once. No awkward moments with any of the staff. No assuming I needed help and leaping in, always light, kind, respectful asking. There is an active roll out programme of education about the Social Model of Disability for staff at all levels. It’s a (beautiful) game changer.
The press area has two wheelchair accessible desks so that Disabled journalists like me can sit pitch-side and write about the club and matches. I was told that I was making club history by being the first Disabled person to use them, and I love this, because even though there aren’t a lot of Disabled journalists at the moment, the club recognises that there SHOULD be. It gets equity across the board – in terms of physical infrastructure, staff attitudes, and fan and guest opportunities. It gets that access means access means access. And why shouldn’t it? Why shouldn’t this be the default attitude of all businesses, especially those with means, and especially those planning refurbs and new builds?
And, obviously, it’s this kind of ‘of course’ attitude to access that means that the football gods now smile widely upon Spurs so that we could decisively beat Manchester United two nil and we’re going to smash Sheffield United at home imminently. Full access is heaven. Manager Ange (Postecoglou) needs an L at the end of his name, and it was glorious to see that Disabled people are allowed to have wheels, not just wings.