How Accessible Are Sports Stadiums For Disabled Fans?

Last Updated on 23/09/2023 by Emma Purcell

All sports fans want the opportunity to watch their favourite team play on the biggest stage and in big tournament fixtures, including those with limited mobility and additional needs. But how easy is it for disabled fans who are wheelchair users, people who rely on guide dogs or spectators who require audio commentary, hearing loops or sensory rooms to go and watch their team play?

A new study by Handicare in partnership with Age Co reveals which football team has the most accessible Champions League stadium.

In a separate study, conducted by sensory specialists Experia, found that three of the top five UK sports stadiums have no advertised facilities for people with sensory needs.

Manchester City has the most accessible Champions League stadium

A new study has revealed the Etihad Stadium, home to Manchester City, is the most accessible Champions League stadium. It also found the four most accessible stadiums belong to English clubs.

This study looked at accessibility factors such as the number of wheelchair seats, accessible parking and audio descriptive commentary to determine which club has the most accessible stadium in this season’s Champions League.

The research was carried out by Handicare – a company that provides stair lifts and mobility aids – in partnership with Age Co – a company owned by the charity Age UK that provides products and services to elderly people.

The most accessible Champions League stadiums in 2022/23 are:

1. Manchester City
2. Chelsea
3. Liverpool
4. Tottenham Hotspur
5. Rangers (Scotland)
6. Ajax (Netherlands)

Etihad Stadium accessibility facilities

What really sets Manchester City apart from the rest is the high number of wheelchair seats available (255) and the fact that they have Sensory Suites and offer an Assistive Hearing System – features that many clubs do not provide.
The only area where the Etihad Stadium didn’t finish top of the rankings was the number of wheelchair seats per capacity (0.46%) – Chelsea (0.55%) and Juventus (0.48%) have a higher percentage of wheelchair seats per capacity of their stadiums.

Whilst Manchester City’s stadium is the most accessible in the Champions League, they do not have the most accessible stadium in the Premier League.
Brighton has the most accessible stadium in the Premier League with Manchester City finishing in sixth. This is partly because Brighton’s Amex Stadium has a higher percentage of wheelchair seats per capacity (0.69%).
Other key findings include:

• No club has more than 0.5% of wheelchair seats per the capacity of their stadium
• Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona are among the least accessible clubs
• 18 out of 32 stadiums do not offer an assistive hearing system
• 13 out of 32 stadiums do not allow guide dogs.
• 12 out of 32 clubs don’t indicate the availability of key accessibility features on their website

You can view the full report here: What are the most accessible Champions League stadiums?

Sports stadiums should provide facilities for disabled fans with sensory needs

In a separate study, it is revealed there is a lack of sports stadiums that provide accessible facilities for fans with sensory needs, leaving many unable to participate in matchday action.

Sensory specialists Experia, who conducted the research, are calling for stadiums and clubs to provide sensory rooms to help people with learning difficulties, developmental disabilities or sensory processing impairments.

To assess the availability of existing facilities, Experia conducted research on the 20 largest stadiums by footfall in the UK and UAE in May 2022 by reviewing their websites and contacting the operators. In the US, Experia worked with sports journalist and autism advocate Richard Coffey as he investigated 312 stadiums.

The research shows that the UK has made progress in providing sensory facilities, and today 15 of the largest 20 stadiums have an advertised offering of some kind.

However, three of the top five largest stadiums – Twickenham, Old Trafford and Millennium Stadium – do not provide a sensory room for guests in the stadium, although Old Trafford does provide an at-home sensory experience for fans of Manchester United. The other two stadiums are Hillsborough Stadium and Hampden Park.

Christine Flintoft-Smith, Head of Accreditation at the National Autistic Society said:

“We welcome any initiative to support autistic people accessing public spaces and sporting events. Sensory rooms provide a calming and quiet environment that can help some autistic people attend events that they may find overwhelming because they’re unfamiliar, loud and busy.”

“We would also encourage venues to do other things to make themselves more autism-friendly, like making sure their communications and information about the venue are clear, and that their staff understand autism.”

“We have loads of useful resources on our website in our Autism Friendly Guides that can further support venues to make their sites work for autistic people.”

The research also found that only 44% of US teams’ stadiums qualify as sensory-inclusive and just three of the UAE’s top 20 stadiums have a sensory room.

Gareth Jones, Founder and Director at Experia, says: “From supporting the Lionesses last year to the recent World Cup, sports have an incredible power to bring people together. However, people with sensory needs are, all too often, excluded from these powerful moments because stadiums cannot cater to their needs.”

“Fortunately, change is happening, albeit slowly. We recently worked with the UK’s largest stadium, Wembley, and independent music therapy charity Nordoff Robbins to install a pair of state-of-the-art sensory rooms that enable more people to comfortably participate in events. We hope stadiums the world over continue this trend to ensure everyone has a chance to cheer their team on in a safe, comfortable way.”

Are you a sports fan that attends matches at stadiums often? What kind of experience have you had and have they met your needs? Let us know in the comments box or on social media.