Sport
Wembley stadium was criticised at the most recent meeting of the
Premier League Disability Advisory Group
Two of
British sport’s most iconic and prestigious venues – Wembley and
Wimbledon – are under scrutiny from equality watchdogs over their
provision for disabled fans.
Peter Carr, the chair of Tottenham’s Disabled Supporters’
Association, has described Wembley as “somewhere that should be a
flagship, but which falls quite short of the mark” while Wimbledon
Centre Court provides only 28 wheelchair spaces, against recommended
guidance for a stadium of its size of 120.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is planning to write to
Wembley Stadium about the issues, while the charity Level Playing Field
has been working with the All-England Lawn Tennis Club to improve
facilities.
Disabled fans of the Harlequins rugby union team have also raised
concerns to The Daily Telegraph, including a pre-match incident ahead of
the recent game against Saracens at the Twickenham Stoop where
wheelchair users with season tickets had their spaces occupied by BT
Sport.
The club have introduced measures to prevent any repeat but,
after the success in transforming the disabled facilities in Premier
League football over recent seasons, the spotlight is now turning to
other stadiums and sports.
Wembley, which has been Tottenham Hotspur’s home for the past two seasons,
was criticised at the most recent meeting of the Premier League
Disability Advisory Group, with wheelchair users especially unhappy at
the accessibility
. It was reported that the limited lift system created
delays, that there was then a security “chamber” to negotiate and that
the typical time from getting between the outside of the stadium to a
wheelchair bay inside was 30 minutes.
Wimbledon Centre Court provides only 28 wheelchair spaces, against
recommended guidance for a stadium of its size of 120.
“Wembley Stadium should be leading the way and it doesn’t,” said Carr.
The EHRC is also understood to have concern over the provision for autistic supporters, including the lack of a sensory room.
Wembley Stadium is looking into the possibility of introducing one and, in pointing out that it has a first-stage certificate from LPF, with which it works closely to deliver “a fully accessible and inclusive experience”, says that its processes are regularly reviewed and refined.
The Accessible Stadia Guide was first published in 2003 and provides guidelines for sports stadiums, including minimum numbers of wheelchair bays. Wimbledon Centre Court provides less than a quarter of the recommended space.
Representatives of LPF were invited to the Wimbledon Championships this year and have begun discussions with the All-England Club about an additional audit to receive feedback “and provide us with a road-map for future improvements”.
An All-England Club spokesperson also said that, due to the size of the courts and structures around them, its local authority had always considered the overall access across the site rather than specific stadiums.
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“Our 18 Championship courts represent 18 fields of play and we ensure
there is reserved space for wheelchair users at every court,” said the
spokesperson.
It was also pointed out that the Centre Court structure was built in
1922. The age of football stadiums, however, has never been accepted as
an insurmountable obstacle and around £100 million was spent on Centre
Court renovations, including a new roof, that were completed in 2009.
LPF chair Tony Taylor said that his organization “look forward” to
continuing the Wimbledon dialogue.
Wheelchair users at Harlequins were upset at having their space outside the Jason Leonard Lounge taken so that BT Sport presenters could work under cover from the elements ahead of the Saracens match.
“Where did they expect us to go?” said one fan. “I didn’t go to the next game – I didn’t want the stress. I felt like a second-class citizen.”
There is concern, too, that disabled parking is being abused. A Harlequins spokesperson said that the Saracens incident was “addressed at the time and measures were immediately introduced to ensure it is not repeated”.
It was also stressed that the club met minimum standards, worked to exceed them wherever possible, and “accessibility for all” would be a priority in any new stadium.