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NADS E-Newsletter - Level Playing Field 2009 |
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The last 3
seasons have seen the NADS Level Playing
Field disability awareness campaign (LPF) go
from strength to strength.
NADS are
delighted to announce that this year's
campaign will take place over the two week
period commencing 21st March 2009 and
ending on 5th April 2009. This should
give each club the opportunity to have a
home game in which they can showcase the
work they are doing (if you cannot fit your
programme into those dates, we are happy for
you to hold a NADS branded LPF game at any
other time).
This year's
campaign focus is on disabled supporter
facilities and in particular those for
supporters with Learning Disabilities and
Learning Difficulties. This is an often
overlooked area and NADS aims to provide
clubs with some timely guidance and
helpsheets on how to improve services for
such supporters and so encourage more people
to watch football.
This year we
would like to know what YOU are planning to
do beforehand so that we can help publicise
your event and encourage other clubs,
supporters associations, community trusts
etc. to take part. We have come up with a
list of possible activities but please
be as creative as you can.
Accordingly, please fill in this form and
return it to NADS as soon as
possible, either via email to
info@nads.org.uk or send it to NADS, PO
Box 2909, Reading, RG1 9LD.
More details and advice about this year's
campaign and suggested activities can be
found here.
NADS is seeking sponsorship for the
Level Playing Field. If you are interested
in supporting this important disability
awareness campaign please contact the
project coordinator, Gary Deards at
info@nads.org.uk or call 0845 230
6237. |
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Learning difficulties and mental health
survey
The FA is
conducting a survey to gain an understanding
of the knowledge and awareness about
specific learning difficulties and mental
health problems in children and adults in
football. Respondents will be entered into a
draw to win one of two pairs of tickets
for England v Slovakia.
The
survey can be accessed by following this link
to a newsletter which goes to Charter
Standard Club contacts. The survey details
are the second item.
Please
pass this onto any of your contacts as the
more feedback the FA have the better.
If you
have any access issues with the survey
please ring Meg Hewitt on 0207 745 4523 and
she will assist you. |
Press Release by National Association of Disabled
Supporters (NADS) dated 13th August 2005:
NADS
comments on current issues arising out of the Disability
Discrimination Act 1995
NADS is aware that many clubs are changing their
disabled ticketing policies as a result of the
Disability Discrimination Act. Compliance with the DDA
is the concern of every club at the moment and one of
the key features for consideration is how to structure
each individual club’s pricing policy without
contravening DDA obligations.
NADS believes it to be up to each club to set it’s own
pricing policy in line with consultation with it’s own
supporters but each club has received advice from a
variety of sources. NADS have produced a pro-forma
disability policy that football clubs can use to fit in
with their own circumstances and which will ensure that
all areas are considered/covered. This includes who the
club regard as disabled, what facilities are available
for each disability category, the pricing structure and
named disability contacts.
We encourage all clubs to adopt this document so that
all disabled supporters can understand the club’s
pricing structure, facilities etc in a written format
with clear, unambiguous and on a consistent basis
amongst clubs. For more information, please contact Gary
Deards on
info@nads.org.uk.
To help clarify a couple of current issues, there are
two major areas of confusion:
1.
Use of
Concessions
–
The DDA1 does not provide advice on the use
of concessions other than making comment that it is not
allowed to discriminate against disabled supporters).
However, it is possible to positively
discriminate for disabled supporters by offering
concessions not otherwise available.
NADS would also like to make clubs and disabled
supporters aware that it is not incumbent on any club,
in law, to offer a concessionary price at all
BUT we would
urge all parties to read the FA report entitled
“Addressing the requirements of Part III of the
Disability Discrimination Act (1995) – A management
Guide for Football Clubs” 2. In particular
see pages 40-44 for more detailed comment (this document
is available from the “Football For All” section of
www.TheFA.com).
NADS believe that
all parties should follow the guidance
given in the
spirit it was intended and not regard the
change as an opportunity to raise revenues when
facilities are often still not acceptable.
2.
If a
charge is imposed, who pays?
Again the DDA makes no mention on this but NADS view
(and supported by many in the disabled community) is
that it is generally accepted disability etiquette that
where a charge is made it should be imposed on the
disabled person and not the assistant (this is for a
variety of reasons including the fact that many
assistants attend matches only to support the disabled
person they are there to assist and are often paid by
the disabled person to attend).
The provision of a “free” personal assistant can be used
by the club as an “auxiliary service or reasonable
adjustment” in any defence under the DDA and whilst a
club cannot insist that an assistant is used (unless
there are “identifiable” Health and Safety issues),
disabled supporters should be encouraged to bring an
assistant where necessary.
2
Addressing
the requirements of Part III of the Disability
Discrimination Act (1995) – A management Guide for
Football Clubs – Richard Wood OBE – September 2003
