Club news

Albion And Aitc Support Level Playing Field's Weeks Of Action

By Richard Morris • 08 March 2018

Brighton & Hove Albion and Albion in the Community are once again supporting the Level Playing Field Weeks of Action.

The club and AITC will be linking up for a series of events in support of the campaign, which this year runs from 3rd March to 18th March. The idea of the this year’s Level Playing Field Weeks of Action is to celebrate the matchday experience of football fans with a disability in an effort to encourage more people across the country to attend games.

The American Express Community Stadium has been widely praised for its accessibility and was just the second stadium in England to be given the Level Playing Field Centre of Excellence Award.

As well as offering 185 wheelchair-accessible bays and 700 easy access seats, the stadium also has a hearing loop for fans with a hearing impairment, audio commentary for fans with a visual impairment, and a Changing Places toilet complete with wet room and hoist lift. There are also accessible lifts throughout the stadium and up to the coach park and 37 accessible toilets open on a matchday.

Earlier this season the club launched a hidden disability scheme that allows fans with a hidden disability to discretely let stewards and stadium staff aware of any additional requirements, while matchday staff have also taken part in Makaton and autism awareness training.

Last Sunday’s game with Arsenal was designated as the Albion’s Level Playing Field game and the club has also organised a number of events to coincide with the Weeks of Action in an effort to make the stadium even more accessible to all supporters.

These include fully accessible stadium tours on 12th March and 16th March, a hearing impaired stadium tour with a qualified British Sign Language interpreter on 15th March, and an autism friendly hour in the club shop between 9am and 10am on 17th March.

AITC is also holding disability awareness training for supporters on 13th March. This will be similar to the disability awareness training that all club and AITC staff are required to complete. Click here to book your place.

AITC delivers disability awareness training to schools and businesses throughout Sussex, with more than 1,000 people taking part in a session during the last 12 months.
 
And the charity is now the largest provider of football opportunities for people with a disability in the area, running 30 regular sessions attended by more than 300 people. This includes a range of regular sessions that take place at the American Express Elite Football Performance Centre in Lancing.
 
For more information on the accessibility of the American Express Community Stadium, or to speak to the club’s disability liaison officer, email: supporter.services@bhafc.co.uk or call 0344 324 6282.
 
To find out more about the work AITC does, or to attend the disability awareness training on 13th March, email: disability@albioninthecommunity.org.uk.