RNIB Soccer Sight
A guide to providing a service for blind
and partially sighted football supporters
Contents
Introduction 3
Key facts about sight loss 4
Access legislation 6
Access assessments and audits 6
Inclusive environments and
accessible information 8
Providing a service for blind
and partially sighted fans 14
Conclusion: The perfect Club 18
Useful contacts 19
Useful publications 20
Appendices 22
1. Disability Discrimination Act 22
2. Programme promotion 23
3. RNIB Visual awareness training 24
4. Commentary Competition copy 26
Introduction
This guide has been written to help football clubs ensure that their services and facilities are
accessible for blind and partially sighted people. It will help football clubs amend and improve the
services that they currently offer, from the processes of buying a ticket to providing a dedicated
match day commentary service.
The guide has been produced following the work of the Royal National Institute of Blind People
(RNIB) project ‘Soccer Sight’.
Soccer Sight is a football access project designed to improve access to football at all levels for
blind and partially sighted people. The project, which is funded by the HBOS Foundation, We are
V and the Football Foundation, works with football clubs and other agencies to improve access to
services and facilities at football grounds and to increase playing opportunities for young blind
and partially sighted players.
The project began after an initial pilot in Scotland with 12 clubs from the Scottish Premier
League. Soccer Sight now works in England and Wales with 17 clubs: Brighton and Hove Albion,
Bristol City, Cardiff City, Swansea City, Doncaster Rovers, Halifax Town and Huddersfield Town,
Hereford United, Swindon Town, Exeter City, Plymouth Argyle, Peterborough United, Norwich
City, Ipswich Town, Nottingham Forest, Notts County and Watford.
Each of these clubs has benefited from access appraisals, staff training and development of their
football in the community schemes.
The Soccer Sight team identified the issues that were preventing blind and partially sighted
people from accessing football:
Lack of football programmes and information in accessible formats.
Lack of provision for Guide Dogs.
Poor standards of commentary and commentary systems.
Lack of awareness and understanding of visual impairment.
The main concerns were centred on the commentary. Fans were either unable to have any
commentary at all, only receive it at home games or in specific areas or were given unreliable
equipment. Soccer Sight has been working with football organisations and clubs to rectify these
problems. This culminated in the project working in partnership with BBC sport to launch a
national competition on BBC Match of the Day to find new commentators for the clubs and to
generally raise standards amongst existing commentators.
The first training sessions produced 45 would be commentators who attended
regional training sessions with the BBC to hone their skills. They learnt about
preparation, technique, vocabulary and visual awareness.
IntroductionRNIB Soccer Sight
“I still love the buzz of a
match – even though I
can’t see now. I follow
every kick through my
headphones. It’s brilliant,
and the adrenaline rush
when we score is still the
same.”
What are the most common eye conditions?
Some of the most common eye conditions and they way that they affect sight are listed
below.
Macular degeneration
The macular is a small area at the centre of the retina. It is responsible for what we are able
to see straight in front of us. When the cells of the macular are damaged, often occurring in
later life, the central vision is affected, eventually leaving just peripheral vision. This is called
macular degeneration and at present there is no cure. However, sufferers never lose their
peripheral vision as a result of this disease.
Cataracts
A cataract is a clouding of the lens inside the eye (it is not a film growing over the eye as
many people think). Vision becomes blurred or dim, as light is unable to pass through the
clouded lens to the back of the eye. Vision in poor light is often difficult and some people
may experience double vision. A small operation can often be performed to remove the
cloudy lens and replace it with a plastic one. Most people will notice an improvement a
few days after the operation.
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a condition that damages the optic nerve. Vision is slowly lost due to the
pressure in the eye. Eventually, as the condition progresses, sight is reduced to a “small
tunnel of vision”. In time, even this sight can be lost. However, if the disease is detected
early enough, damage may be kept to a minimum and good vision maintained.
Diabetic retinopathy
This condition can occur as a result of diabetes. If it is not diagnosed in the early stages, the
network of blood vessels in the retina can be affected. There are three types of diabetic
retinopathy:
Background diabetic retinopathy, which in its early stages has no affect on vision
Maculopathy, which affects central vision
Proliferative diabetic retinopathy, which is much rarer and causes blurred and patchy
vision.
Most sight-threatening diabetic problems can be prevented by laser treatment,
if this is given early enough.
For further more detailed information about sight loss contact the
RNIB Helpline on 0845 766 9999.
Three winners were selected and attended a prize giving ceremony at the FA headquarters in
Soho Square. The first prize was to spend a day with the BBC team at the 2006 FA Cup Final in
Cardiff, including performing a live commentary on the BBC interactive service. The winner, Alan
March from Nottingham, is a keen football fan and joined the rest of the trainees in providing a
service at their local clubs for football fans with a visual impairment. He has now developed his
skills further and commentates at Nottingham Forest and Wembley National Stadium.
Key facts about sight loss
In order to create suitable environments for blind and partially sighted people it is important that
they recognise and have some understanding of the nature of visual loss. Only 8% of those
impaired have no sight at all. The remainder will have varying degrees of sight, which will enable
them to function visually to different degrees. Generally speaking, the result of different eye
conditions will lead to the following types of impairment:
A limited field of vision, being unable to see the sides or up and down.
Some loss of central vision limiting the ability to see final detail.
Severe short-sightedness, seeing the world as a continuous blur.
Uncontrollable oscillations of the eyeball leading to an inability to see objects clearly.
Night blindness, a sensitivity to light and a tendency to be dazzled by glare.
How many people are blind or partially sighted?
In the UK, around one million people are blind or partially sighted and a further 700,000 people
have sight problems that have an impact on their daily lives.
What is the difference between blindness and partial sight?
An ophthalmologist (a medical specialist) will test a person’s eyes and, based on the results,
decide whether they are blind or partially sighted. Blindness is obviously more severe than partial
sight but it is important to note that many blind people still
have some useful sight and only a small percentage of
people see nothing at all.
What causes sight loss?
There are many reasons why people have little or no sight.
Some individuals are blind from birth, others are involved in
accidents and a significant number develop illnesses that
cause partial or complete sight loss. There are a number of
differing eye conditions, each of which affects vision in a
different way.
Introduction Key facts about sight loss
4
General DDA guidelines for football clubs
Football clubs have a big role to play in ensuring that they are fully accessible to
disabled people, whether they be board members, employees or ex players! By
following the guidelines below, clubs should go a long way to becoming fully
accessible to everyone as well as complying with the DDA.
Ensure you have clear policies on ticketing, concessions, staff training, assistance dogs,
parking and allocation of tickets for home and away support in disabled areas.
Instigate or maintain consultation with disabled fans to ensure you are meeting all
their needs.
Consult with disability organisations at local and national level for advice.
There should be adequate parking provision and drop off points for disabled people.
Ground improvements should include highlighting steps and walkways, contrasted floor
and wall surfaces and good signage and lighting.
Provision of an adequate number of accessible toilet facilities.
Provision of wheelchair accessible refreshment kiosks with large print menus at a
critical height.
Ensure segregation of home and away disabled supporters.
Dedicated commentary and equipment available for blind and partially sighted supporters.
Raised viewing areas free from obstruction for wheelchair users.
Provision of disability awareness training for match day staff and ticket office staff.
Accessible information available in alternative formats and clear website design with easily
accessed information for disabled supporters.
Accessible club activities and events.
Designated disability officer and Director of the Board responsible for disability issues at
all clubs.
Inclusive and equal seating for all disabled supporters (in line with Accessible Stadia Guide
recommendations).
Complete regular access audits and implement on access strategy/plan for improvements
in line with evolving DDA duty and Accessible Stadia Guide.
Access legislation – what are your legal duties
A main feature of the project is the advice given to clubs on how they can improve their
accessibility for blind and partially sighted people. Each club that we worked with underwent an
extensive access assessment that examined the clubs policies and procedures that affect the
ability of a disabled person to buy a ticket, read the match day programme, follow each kick of
the game and buy a pint at half time.
As a provider of goods, services and facilities, football clubs have a legal duty under the
Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) not to discriminate against anyone because of their
disability. Most were found to comply with the Act although in some instances clubs were found
to be discriminating, especially around seating of blind and partially sighted spectators and on
admission for guide dogs.
Many of the changes that we recommended, as a result of the assessment, did not require clubs
to undergo major refurbishment or provide costly equipment. Generally, what is required is a
change of policy. Any physical changes that are needed are recommended to be made as part of
on going maintenance programmes
Access assessments/audits
The assessment or audit identifies features that will affect disabled people, as recognised by the
Disability Discrimination Acts 1995 and 2005. The Soccer Sight teams undertake an assessment
of a football clubs service and their facilities as well as the physical access at the stadium.
We recommend that the assessment follows a “journey sequence” through the stadium from car
park, or public transport drop-off point through to the most extreme facility within the stadium.
This approach will offer practical solutions to barriers to access in each section of the sequence.
It is advisable for all clubs to commission an audit of their stadium and services by a suitably
qualified person (see Useful contacts at page 19) and to involve all of the management team in
reviewing the recommendations and putting plans in
place to implement the recommendations within the
club. It can be helpful to consult with
representatives from disability organisations, such as
National Association of Disabled Supporters (NADS)
or the clubs own disabled supporters group.
Undertaking an access audit and developing an
access strategy based on its findings will not in itself
guarantee that your club will meet the requirements
of the DDA or any other legislation. However, it will
give a clear indication of the intention of the
stadium owner/manager and organisation to
improve accessibility for disabled people.
Access legislation Access assessments/audits
6 7
Stairs and steps both within covered areas and on terracing and in stands and car parks should be
highlighted with the provision of nosing on each step. The important point is that the step
nosings provide a colour and tonal contrast to the steps. Although yellow and white are
frequently used there is no correct colour for step nosings. Again club colours can be used as
long as there is a contrast with the steps and surrounding area. A hazard-warning pattern should
be at the top and bottom of all interior staircases.
Floor coverings should have a matt finish, such as matt vinyl, which will not cause reflections
from windows or light fittings. Floor finishes should contrast with the walls so that the boundary
of a floor is clearly visible. This can also be achieved by painting skirting boards a strong
contrasting colour.
The RNIB JMU Access partnership has a range of factsheets available on access issues (see
Useful publications at page 20)
Lighting
Blind and partially sighted people may require up to double the quantity of light needed by
sighted people. Many blind and partially sighted people find it difficult to cope with extreme
variations of light, for example strong light can cause deceiving shadows.
Light should be evenly distributed with no dramatic changes when moving from one area to
another.
Lighting on stairs should be sufficient to highlight any obstructions.
Printed information and websites
Most of the football clubs we work with produce
most of their information in print format,
through leaflets, match day programmes or on
the website. Most do not have a policy within
the club for accessible information.
The size of text in most football programmes
is a size 8 font, which reads as follows:
Clear print is a design approach which considers the needs of people with
sight problems.
Compare this with the size 14 fonts used in
this publication.
A small font size makes a match day
programme very difficult for many people
to read. It is however quite simple and
inexpensive, to produce accessible material
by focusing on some basic design elements,
for example font, type size and contrast.
Inclusive environments and accessible information
In order to help blind and partially sighted people access a football clubs stadium and other
facilities such as a club shop, museum or ticket office it helps to have a broad understanding of
some of the access issues that blind and partially sighted people face.
There are three
general areas of
concern with design:
signage
visibility
lighting.
Signage
The purpose of signs is to convey information and act as a warning as well as helping the user
find their way to and from a destination. Making a sign clear and easy to read for a partially
sighted person it will make the sign clear and easy to read for all.
Sign content should be simple, short and easily understood and the text and lettering should be
of a clear uncomplicated font. (See Printed information and websites at page 9 for advice on
font size and type).
Where appropriate, signs (with the exception of suspended signs) should have tactile embossed
text, pictograms and arrows together with braille.
Signs should be located at key decision points on all routes.
The sign background and characters should be non-reflective, in a matt finish. All signs should be
in contrasting colours to their background and the characters should contrast with the sign.
The RNIB Sign Design Guide provides an excellent source of information (See Useful
publications at page 20).
Visibility
Many football clubs use their own club colours to paint and furnish their stadia This can work
very well in providing contrasting colours to pillars and other areas such as doors, glass panels
and light switches, to make them more visible. Many football clubs stands have an internal
concourse where refreshment kiosks, bars and general walkways are sited.
Every effort should be made to ensure that the internal support columns and pillars are not
positioned where they will obstruct free movement. They should be coloured to stand out from
the background and not merge in with it. This can be done quite simply with bands of
contrasting colour.
Door furniture should be colour contrasted and L-shaped, lever or D-shaped handles are preferable.
Inclusive environments Inclusive environments
8 9
Type size
The size of the type (known as text point size) is a fundamental factor in legibility. We recommend
a type size between 12 and 14 point.
Contrast
The better the contrast between the background and the text, the more legible the text will be.
Black text on a white background provides best contrast.
Font
Avoid highly stylised fonts such as those with ornamental, decorative or handwriting styles and
use a font such as Arial, which is more easily read.
Type styles
Blocks of capital letters, underlined or italicised text are all harder to read. A word or two in
capitals is fine but avoid the use of capitals for continuous text. Underlining text or setting it in
italics should always be avoided.
Reversing type
If using white type, make sure the background colour is dark enough to provide sufficient
contrast.
Setting text
Avoid fitting text around images if this means that lines of text start in a different place, and are
therefore difficult to find. Avoid setting text over images or textures as this will affect the
contrast.
Forms
Partially sighted people tend to have handwriting that is larger than average, so allow extra
space on forms. This will also benefit people with conditions that affect the use of their hands,
such as arthritis.
Inclusive environments Inclusive environments
10
“This is the wrong way to
set text around
an image. It
will be
difficult to
read as each
line starts in a
different place”
“Don’t set text over
an image as the
contrast is poor.”
Printing
Avoid glossy paper because glare makes it difficult to read. Choose uncoated paper that weighs
over 90gsm. As a general rule, if the text is showing through from the reverse side, then the
paper is too thin.
Web pages
Soccer Sight surveyed all the websites used by the projects’ participating football clubs and
found varying levels of access. The main issue was that the information about services for blind
and partially sighted supporters were not included on their sites.
Websites provide clubs with an ideal opportunity to promote the services available for blind and
partially sighted supporters. Information should include:
Details of policies for charging concessionary rates.
Season ticket prices, an online booking service for home and away games.
Provision for guide dogs.
The availability and booking procedures for audio programmes and the commentary service.
Creative use of colour and contrast can dramatically enhance the accessibility of a website.
People with cognitive or sight problems may have difficulty reading and distinguishing text from
a background colour, so it would be advisable to be aware of colour and contrast in the design of
the page. Background images and patterns may also cause problems of legibility.
RNIB’s See it Right book sets out best
practice and gives guidelines on designing
and producing accessible information.
(See Useful publications at page 20).
11
Toilets
While all of the football clubs we visited had
an accessible toilet – very few were signed,
maintained or had alarm systems that were
operational.
Accessible toilets should be well signed
with a tactile symbol on doors.
Door should have D and lever handles and
have an emergency release mechanism
operated from outside.
Fittings should be colour/tone contrasted.
Taps and toilet flushes should be easily
operated, for example, lever controlled
mixer taps.
Soap dispensers, single sheet toilet roll
and hand driers should be provided and
easily identified and operated.
An emergency assistance alarm pull cord
should be sited so it can be operated from
the WC and surrounding floor area. It
should be coloured red and provided with
two red bangles of 50mm diameter, one
set at a height between 800mm and
1000mm and the other set at 100mm
above floor level.
Lifts
Where football clubs had lifts within the
stadium, many were too small for the
numbers of people requiring them on a
match day.
Multi-storey buildings including football
stands, should have at least one lift of
sufficient size to be used by wheelchair
users.
The lift door should be easily
distinguishable from adjoining wall by
colour and luminance contrast.
Call buttons should have symbols in relief
to enable tactile reading.
There should be an audible announcement
of lift arrival and floors reached and
direction of travel.
Refreshment kiosks
Generally bars and refreshment areas were
not well signed. There were issues about
service for disabled people for instance,
whether it is advisable to have an ordering
service or dedicated queuing lanes/low level
counters. The management of any system
needs to be carefully thought through and
discussed with the disabled supporters but
the following points should be considered
when managing these areas.
Refreshment kiosks and bars should be
well signed.
Menu’s and prices should be clearly
displayed.
Queuing lanes and gate systems should be
stewarded at all times.
Low level counters should be at a height
of 760mm to accommodate wheelchair
users and be stewarded at all times.
Is your football club
accessible?
This section looks at key areas that are
used by football supporters
Reception areas
One of the main problems in the
reception area is not being able to
cannot speak to or see the receptionist,
because of the high level of thetop of
the desk. There are guidelines laid down
by Part M of the building regulations
(see Useful contacts at page 19) but
many reception areas still remain
inaccessible.
Reception desks should be
strategically placed, clearly signed
and easily identifiable.
Task lighting should be positioned to
illuminate the top of the reception.
The reception desk should have a
working surface height at two levels
– between 950mm and 1100mm to
accommodate people who are
standing 760mm to accommodate
wheelchair users.
Acoustics should be carefully planned
and controlled.
Furnishings should contrast with floor
and walls.
Seating layouts should have clear
space for wheelchair users and space
for an assistance dog to rest.
Inclusive environments Inclusive environments
Techniques for
accessible websites
High contrast must be provided between
text and background colours. Pale blues
and grey will not be easy to read on white
backgrounds but dark blues, black or reds
will.
Bold and large fonts can sometimes
compensate for poor colour contrast. If a
piece of text is large, then the contrast may
be less critical. Good judgement is required
to assess this.
Colour blindness affects the way that
certain colours differ from others. Red and
green, for instance, can appear to be
virtually the same to some users. Ensure
that you choose colours that have a good
differentiation for people with colour
deficiency.
Images must also have good contrast,
especially if there is text on the image.
Always check that logos are high contrast
and tag lines within logos are readable.
Ensure that images do not lose definition
when style sheets are disabled. This can
result in text appearing transparent on an
image. To prevent this, ensure there are no
transparent colours around the text on the
image.
Background images can sometimes interfere
with the legibility of text. Watermarks or
patterns can be problematic. It is best to
avoid them if possible or ensure they are
not behind text or that they do not
interfere with legibility.
1312
The standard kit includes 10 receivers and headphones, a hand held transmitter and microphone
and a charger unit and case.
The equipment is simply booked out to the users before each game and then collected and
charged ready for the next match. The system is very easy to use with a simple plug point for the
ear phones, a volume control and an off/standby/on switch on top of the receiver. The hand
held receivers can be customised with club or sponsor’s colours and logos and they should be
numbered for help with managing the scheme.
Recruiting a commentator
The key to a good service is having a good commentator. This has been one of the issues that
have prevented people from fully following the game. Very often the person doing the
commentary is not trained or does not understand the need to describe the on pitch action at all
times rather than talk about statistics, tactics or lengthy summaries of previous action.
All of the Soccer Sight commentators were recruited from club websites, media articles or club
competitions which were featured in match day programmes and on the web site, inviting
potential commentators to send in an audio clip of their commentary featuring the club in the
last five minutes of a cup final. An example of the promotion for this competition can be found
at Appendix 3 at page 26.
Those who were successful were then invited to attend regional training courses run by RNIB and
a team of BBC sports commentators. The training includes an introduction to visual awareness
followed by sessions on voice, technique, preparation and language.
RNIB will continue to run regional training sessions to provide clubs with trained commentators
contact the Soccer Sight project for more details. (see Useful contacts at page 19).
We would recommend that there should be a team of two or three commentators who can work
on a rota basis to cover all fixtures during the season.
The commentators work on a voluntary basis but should be treated as any other member of the
media team with full accreditation and a place in the clubs media area with the other mainstream
broadcasters on match days.
Audio programmes
One of the services that Soccer Sight provides is the provision of an audio match day programme.
Quite simply, the match day programme is transcribed on to an audio CD and reproduced in
sufficient quantities for each club.
A professional company would be able to provide this service and ensure it was delivered on
match day for approximately £250 for each game. This service can also produced
inhouse to be more economical.
It is important to establish the numbers of people who would benefit from the
service and to manage the scheme cost effectively such as being part of a season
ticket package or on a subscription basis.
Providing a service for blind and partially sighted fans
The commentary service
The provision of a commentary service is the most important part of the football experience for
someone with little or no sight.
For most football fans, there’s nothing quite like attending a live match. Coverage of the game
on TV or listening on the radio can never quite provide that match day experience. From the
smell of the pies to the roar of the crowd, there’s nothing quite like saying, “I was there”.
It’s something most of us take for granted. However for a blind or partially sighted football
supporter the story is different. There are around two million people in the UK with a sight
problem. Sadly many visually impaired supporters currently choose to stay away from games
simply because of the inaccessibility of most grounds and the lack of a dedicated commentary.
Provision for blind and partially sighted supporters varies immensely but, sadly, very few clubs
achieve a standard where blind and partially sighted people could feel really included in the game.
The ideal solution for blind and partially sighted supporters, is the provision of “audio-description”
– a continuous and live commentary of the on-pitch action, provided by a commentator
specifically trained in describing events for those unable to see them clearly. This is transmitted
to a radio receiver through a headset which can be used anywhere within the stadium. This
means that the blind and partially sighted supporters can choose to sit with their friends and
family, and among their own club’s supporters rather than in a designated an area only for blind
and partially sighted people, which is a system still used by some clubs. It also allows blind and
partially sighted supporters from visiting teams to use the equipment.
Commentary equipment
Soccer Sight have worked with Access
Audio to develop a radio broadcasting
system Aural Aide that allows people to
receive a match day commentary from any
point in the stadium. The equipment is a
UHF radio system operating in the licence
exempt 863 MHz band.
The sound quality is crystal clear and the
range, up to 200 metres is excellent. Each
transmitter and receiver has sixteen user
selectable channels available. The
transmitters and receivers run from standard
AA batteries, (rechargeable or disposable
types can be used for maximum flexibility).
Inclusive environments Inclusive environments
14 15
Staff training
Staff training is key to ensuring good customer service. Soccer Sight has developed training
programmes for all key match day staff and stewards. The two hour introductory session allows
staff and stewards to understand more about sight loss and how they can help people with
serious sight problems to access the clubs services and facilities.
There is a practical element of leading and guiding which gives staff confidence in
communicating with blind and partially sighted people, often for the first time.
This training is especially helpful for stewards as they are usually the first port of call for people
requiring assistance in the ground. The training also outlines the procedures for managing the
commentary equipment, which again, relies on the input from match day stewards.
The sessions are available from RNIB Soccer Sight and more details can be found in Appendix 3
at page 24.
Promoting the service
Once you have a scheme in place it is very important to let people know it exists! Articles in the
local media, especially local radio stations, the club website and the match day programme will all
help alert people to the fact that the service is available at the club. If the club has a disabled
supporters association it is advisable to work with them to spread the word. Working with local
agencies and organisations for the blind and older people who produce audio ‘talking
newspapers and magazines’ is also helpful to promote the scheme.
Launch the service with an invited audience of blind and partially sighted people and don’t
forget to let visiting clubs know that they too can benefit from the scheme. An example of how
to promote the launch of a service can be found in Appendix 2 at page 23.
Managing the scheme
Each club will have their own policy and procedures in terms of managing the equipment.
The experience of the Soccer Sight project has shown that that the best way to administer and
run the service is to ensure that the receivers are numbered and logged onto a control sheet and
then booked out to users on request. They can be booked out to season ticket holders on a
regular basis or clubs can operate a booking service for casual users or for away fans wanting to
use the equipment.
Football clubs cannot make a charge for the equipment but they can ask for a refundable deposit
at the point of booking the equipment. This is however difficult to manage on a match day,
especially signing for a deposit and then returning the equipment. Asking blind or partially
sighted people to fill out forms with credit card details is totally inaccessible and not practical on
a busy match day.
Provision for guide dogs
Some guide dog owners who attend football matches rely solely on their dogs to guide them
safely both to and from the stadium and within the stadium itself. Many stadium managers
simply do not understand the importance of the guide dogs and how it is important that the
dog stays with the owner throughout their time at the stadium. Football stadia have a duty to
care and provide for people using their facilities who require the assistance of a guide dog.
RNIB have worked with the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association to produce a guidance
document called Access to Sports Stadia (see Useful publications at page 20) which details
the requirements for the provision of guide dogs within football grounds.
The main areas for consideration are as follows:
Change policy and practice to amend a ‘no dogs’ policy to allow guide dogs and other
assistance dogs.
Never distract a working guide dog. Check with the owner before any contact is made.
Never feed the dog. Guide dogs are working animals and are fed a strict diet at regular times.
Any additional food may cause the dog to be sick or affect its health.
Provide a water bowl for the dog if asked.
In seating areas make sure there is sufficient space for a guide dog and its owner.
Provide information, and help if needed, on access points into the stadium, which are not
turnstiles which are too narrow for a guide dog owner and guide dog to access.
Provide appropriate relief areas for guide dogs and other assistance dogs. Guide Dogs’ district
teams can advise on relief facilities. (see Useful contacts section at page 19).
The best place for a guide dog is with its owner, who will have both the skills and the relationship
with their dog that ensures a high level of control. The front row of a block on any tier of seats
will usually provide more space and comfort for a guide dog. A guide dog is extremely adaptable
and would be used to attending football
matches and coping with crowds and traffic as
well as being able to utilise limited space to
the best advantage as found in most forms of
public transport, theatres and cinemas.
Although guide dogs for blind and partially
sighted people are the most commonly seen
at football stadia there are other assistance
dogs such as hearing dogs for deaf people or
support dogs for wheelchair users that may be
seen at grounds and will need accommodating
in a similar way to guide dogs.
Inclusive environments Inclusive environments
1716
Soccer Sight recommend that the equipment is handed back to a match day steward at the end
of the game. It can be very difficult finding the way back to a designated point in a busy crowd
of people when leaving the stadium. We recommend that one person from the club is designated
to take responsibility for running the scheme. This will include ensuring that all the receivers and
transmitter are charged and ready for each game, each person has received and returned the
equipment (including the commentator) and that the information about the equipment is readily
available to home and away supporters on the website, on season ticket information and to
disability organisations.
Most people will always return the receivers. It is then important to check the receivers and the
transmitter back in and have them ready to charge for the next game. Ensure before you charge
the equipment that all the sets are turned off and that the batteries being used are rechargeable!
Conclusion: The perfect Club
Having worked with 30 clubs across the football pyramid, we are not quite yet in the position to
say that every element of access at each of those clubs is perfect.
What we can say, however, is that each club can demonstrate that they have a commentary
system and that general access is good, although not every aspect of their service will stand out
as being excellent. This can be due to many factors. Sometimes it is due to resources, location or
changes in club personnel which can dictate a level of service.
What is important is that those clubs are now aware of the issues and are working on all aspects
of their service to try and reach a standard of excellence and offer their disabled supporters a
quality experience when they visit the football club.
There are clubs that have particular areas of good practice that other clubs can learn from and
Soccer Sight will continue to work with the football authorities and other agencies to organise
training days, information events and seminars to spread good practice throughout the
football world.
Inclusive environments Useful contacts
Useful contacts
Access Audio
Unit 32/5 Hardengreen Business Park
Dalhousie Road, Dalkeith
Midlothian
EH22 3NX
Telephone: 0131 663 0777
(text phone is available)
Email: webinfo@accessaudio.co.uk
ECOM
Accessible information and Audio programmes
E-Com Communications
152 High Street, Uckfield
East Sussex
TN22 1AT
Telephone: 01825 76 59 99
Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
Hillfields, Burghfield Common
Reading
RG7 3YG
Telephone: 0845 241 2178
Email: [email protected]
Website: guidedogs.org.uk
JMU Access Partnership
105 Judd Street
London
WC1H 9NE
Email: info@jmuaccess.org.uk
National Association of Disabled
Supporters (NADS)
PO Box 2909
Reading
RG1 9LD
Helpline: 0845 230 6237
Email: inf[email protected]g.uk
Website: nads.org.uk
National Register of Access Consultants
(NRAC)
70 South Lambeth Road
London
SW8 1RL
Telephone: 020 7735 7845
Website: nrac.co.uk
Telephone: 0845 766 9999
RNIB Helpline
Telephone: 0845 766 9999
RNIB
Royal National Institute of Blind People
105 Judd Street
London
WC1H 9NE
Telephone: 020 7388 1266
Website: rnib.org.uk
RNIB Soccer Sight
Telephone: 01792 36 67 56
Email: eleanor[email protected]g.uk
Website: rnib.org.uk/soccersight
18 19
Useful publications
Access to Sports Stadia for Guide Dogs
The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association
Ref: PPC 07/04.
A good practice guide for stadium managers
on providing facilities for Guide dogs.
Accessible Stadia Guide
The Football Stadia Improvement Fund and
The Football Licensing Authority, 2003, £25
A comprehensive source of information on
accessible stadia for developers, management,
designers and access consultants.
Approved Document M (2004 edition) of
the Building Regulations
Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM).
BS8300: 2001 Design of buildings and their
approaches to meet the needs of disabled
people
Code of Practice, British Standards Institute.
Building Sight
RNIB and TSO, 1995, £20.
A ground-breaking book that sets out to
demonstrate how the needs of blind and
partially sighted people can be met in the
design of buildings and the environment.
Copies can be purchased at
onlineshop.rnib.org.uk
Guide to Safety at Sports Grounds
Football Licensing Authority (fifth edition),
2008, TSO, £30. Copies can be purchased at
tsoshop.co.uk
A good practice guide to design of facilities
to meet the needs of disabled spectators and
other users Football Licensing Authority (FLA).
JMU Access Partnership Fact Sheets
JMU have over 30 best practice factsheets,
covering everything from lifts to lobbies, and
these answer many preliminary enquiries.
These are free of charge and available by
contacting JMU (see Useful contacts at
page 19). Up to three factsheets available
per enquiry.
See it Right
RNIB, 2006.
Copies can be purchased at
onlineshop.rnib.org.uk
The Sign Design Guide: The most current,
comprehensive and in-depth guidance on
accessible signage
JMU Access Partnership and the Sign Design
Society, 2000, £20.
This guide promotes one sign for all, enabling
you to include everyone’s signage needs.
Useful publications
20
Appendices Appendices
23
“What a goal... did you see that?
Have you ever thought how difficult it would
be for you to attend a football match if you
couldn’t see the pitch or follow the action?
How much do you take it for granted that
you can sit anywhere you like with your mates
or family, travel to away games, read the
programme or simply buy a pie at half time?
For many thousand of blind and partially
sighted people these simple activities become
major issues that they have to cope with
every match day. Whilst facilities for disabled
people are gradually improving there is still
much to be done to improve the situation for
blind or partially sighted fans.
The solution is is being launched here today
at XXXXXXX providing blind and partially
sighted supporters at the club with a trained
voluntary commentator and 10 new radio
headsets that allow blind fans to sit anywhere
within the stadium to receive the
commentary.
If you know of anyone with a serious sight
problem who could benefit from this new
service please contact xxxxxxx.”
Appendices
1. The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 2. Programme promotion
The DDA has brought in new laws and
measures aimed at ending the discrimination
that many disabled people face. Football
Clubs will have duties under Parts II and III of
the Disability Discrimination Act 1995
Part II of the DDA – Employment
Since 1 October 2004, it has been against the
law for an employer of any size (apart from
the armed forces) to discriminate against
people on the basis of disability.
You cannot discriminate against a disabled
person:
in the recruitment process
in their terms and conditions of
employment
in chances for promotion, transfer, training
or other benefits
by dismissing them unfairly
by treating them less fairly than other
workers
by subjecting them to harassment.
Part III of the DDA – Goods Services and
Facilities
Under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995
(DDA), service providers (under Part III) are
required to make reasonable adjustments to
ensure disabled people are not discriminated
against and can use their services easily and in
comfort. Reasonable adjustments may involve
changing policies, procedures and practices or
providing auxiliary aids and services such as
information in alternative formats. This may
include providing information on request on
tape, in large print or braille.
The requirement under the Disability
Discrimination Act to make physical changes
to premises to provide access came into force
in October 2004.
The Disability Discrimination Act 2005
From 5 December 2005, the definition of
disability has changed to include people with
HIV, Cancer and Multiple Sclerosis from the
point of diagnosis.
22
Appendices Appendices
The RNIB Soccer Sight training programme
will enable key staff and stewards at all levels
to fully understand the requirements of
disabled people and give them a greater
understanding of the legal implications of
current legislation. The Disability
Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) requires all
service providers to take reasonable steps to
ensure that they do not unjustifiably treat
people with disabilities less favourably than
they would other people.
The training course is run by qualified and
experienced trainers and addresses the needs
of all disabled people but with an emphasis on
the needs of blind or partially sighted people.
This two-hour course offers a unique
opportunity to learn both practical skills and
have a greater awareness and understanding
of how you can meet the needs of disabled
people.
The course is highly participate and informal.
Your staff will find increased levels of
confidence and effectiveness when dealing
with disabled people both as individuals and
within their professional organisation. Having
good customer service and a positive attitude
towards disadvantaged groups in society not
only allows you to increase your business but
also lets you display your social awareness
within the wider community.
What will you learn from the course?
There are a number of guaranteed learning
outcomes from the training. Course
participants will:
1. Have the ability to appreciate the range of
ways that sight problems can affect
individual blind and partially sighted
people.
2. Have the confidence to offer hands-on
assistance to individual blind and partially
sighted people in a manner recommended
by RNIB.
3. Be able to explain the purpose of the
Disability Discrimination Act and
understand the implications it has on their
role.
4. Identify at least one way in which services
to blind and partially sighted people can be
improved.
Where does the training take place?
Ideally the training should take place at the
Football Club – however, RNIB is happy to
arrange for the training to be held at any
mutually agreeable location.
Contents of the course
The Soccer Sight course starts with an
introduction covering the importance of
understanding the issues that blind and
partially sighted people face when attending
football matches. We will look at the facts
and myths of blindness, definitions of
blindness and explain how the Disability
Discrimination Act affects service provision as
well as giving key staff members the
confidence and ability to meet, greet and
guide a blind or partially sighted person. The
course includes:
1. Key facts about sight loss
2. Successful communication. Looking at
methods of effectively communicating with
blind and partially sighted people.
3. Practical issues experienced by individuals
at football grounds
4. How to lead and guide
5. Understanding the DDA, it’s duties and
obligations
6. Making your facilities more accessible.
Who is the training for?
The training is aimed at stewards and front
line staff at football clubs, for example
reception staff, ticket office staff and club
secretariat.
For more information and to book a course
contact Eleanor Ellison at
eleanor[email protected]g.uk
2524
3. RNIB visual awareness training
Can’t stop talking football?
RNIB Soccer Sight, in association with the Football Foundation,
bringing quality commentary to blind and partially sighted
supporters via new radio transmitters and headsets,
wants to discover new commentating talent.
Enter our exciting competition and you could win the opportunity to become a
professionally trained commentator at your club. You could also commentate on a
major Premier League or international fixture, with BBC’s Match of the Day team!
To enter, imagine that your team have just scored the winning goal in the 2006
World Cup Final. Record a five minute commentary describing the moment, and
send your entry, with your name, age, address and telephone number to:
Soccer Sight competition, RNIB, 105 Judd Street, London WC1H 9NE.
Closing date: 14 November 2005. Entrants must be 18 years and over.
Then why not talk for us and win
a unique football experience!
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Reg charity no. 226227
26
Appendices
4. Commentary competition copy
RNIB Soccer Sight
Telephone: 01792 36 67 56
Email: eleanor[email protected]
Website: rnib.org.uk/soccersight
Photographs on pages 13, 18, 19 and 21
© Bennett Dean.
© RNIB January 2009
Registered charity number 226227
