Swindon Town will show their support for the Level Playing Field ‘Unite For Access’ campaign in this Saturday's League Two tie against Harrogate Town.
We’re looking forward to celebrating the inclusion and accessibility of all our disabled fans and fans living with disabilities as part of Level Playing Field's ‘Unite For Access’ initiative, which officially kicked off last weekend.
Did you know, that disabled people make up almost a quarter of the UK population and up to 70% of disabilities are non-visible and still many disabled supporters and those living with a disability feel that attending live sport isn’t possible due to the environmental and societal barriers they face.
Level Playing Field is the leading charity advocating for disabled sports fans in England and Wales, and we’re dedicating our home league match against Harrogate Town on Saturday 2 March to the initiative with various activities.
Disability Liaison Officer, Caroline Lane said: "It is important that as a club we make Swindon Town as inclusive as possible for our Disabled supporters and fans living with disabilities.
"As we continue to improve our facilities and raise our awareness and knowledge of fans that are disabled, living with disabilities or those that have hidden disabilities, we can make the County Ground a safe haven for all supporters.
"I will continue to work hard to be the voice between the club and the disabled supporters to ensure that each supporter feels that attending the County Ground and the football is seamless and accessible. "
As a club, everyone here at Swindon Town believes everyone should be able to attend live sports and enjoy football here at the County Ground, regardless of disability.
We’re committed to making our home accessible and welcoming to all and will continue to take steps to improve, while also calling on you, our dedicated supporters, to join us on this journey.
Chief Commercial Officer, James Watts said: "Swindon Town prides themselves in supporters being able to attend games at the County Ground, regardless of their disability.
The club is fully committed to making Swindon Town Football Club, accessible for all and we will continue to work hard with our Disabled Supporters to improve the facilities at the stadium creating an improved matchday experience."
The Level Playing Field 'Unite For Access' campaign is an annual period of inspiration and celebration of good access and inclusion at sports venues. The 2024 campaign will run from Saturday 24th February to Sunday 10th March.
What are we doing at Swindon Town Football Club to raise awareness?
We’ll be catching up with some of our disabled supporters, who will be sharing their views and match day experiences at the County Ground, while our players will be wearing official ‘Unite For Access’ shirts in the pre-match warm-up ahead of the Harrogate Town clash.
Lee Cahalin, Chairperson for Swindon Disabled Association said: "As Disabled Group chairman, I'm delighted that Swindon Town as a club are really driving to make the club inclusive of all fans, whether that be physical disabilities, hidden disabilities, or able-bodied fans."
"We are one fanbase and to have everyone included is great to see and can make a real difference."
Talking about disability can be daunting sometimes, as it’s a complex subject matter.
That’s why Swindon Town invites all supporters, both disabled and abled, to engage with us on this important campaign and to ensure access and inclusion are at the heart of everything we do.
Good disability access benefits everyone, and that's why we ask you all to:
Unite for Your Team
Unite for your fans
#UniteForAccess
Fans can see more information about the ‘Unite For Access’ campaign and Level Playing Field by visiting https://www.levelplayingfield.org.uk
