Skip over main navigation
  • Sign up
  • Log in
  • Basket: (0 items)
  • Pages
Centre for Access to Football in Europe
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
DAO Portal Donate
Menu
  • About us
    • Our mission
    • CAFE team
      • Staff
      • Board of Directors
      • CAFE Advisory Group
      • Partners and supporters
    • Our story
    • Erasmus+ Project
    • Climate commitment
    • Stichting CAFE
      • About Stichting CAFE
      • Inclusive employment
    • Contact us
  • Find a stadium
    • Stadium pages
    • Matchday feedback
    • Share your sightlines
    • Major tournaments
  • Advice and guidance
    • Latest Covid-19 news
    • Access for All guide
    • Disabled supporters
    • Audio-Descriptive Commentary
    • Guidance Notes
    • Non-visible disabilities and long-term health conditions
    • Legislation
    • Conference presentations
    • DAO portal
  • News and fans' stories
    • Latest news
    • News archive
    • Disabled fans' stories
    • #MyMatchday
  • Get involved
    • CAFE Week of Action
    • Share your story
    • Vacancies
  • Admin
    • Log in
    • Pages
  • Basket: (0 items)
  • Project News

    Project News

    All the latest Erasmus+ updates and information. Read more

  • Erasmus+ Partners

    Erasmus+ Partners

    Find out more about the Erasmus+ project Partners. Read more

  • Project News
  • Erasmus+ Partners
  • Next
  • Prev
  1. About us
  2. Erasmus+ Project

Erasmus+ Project

‘Good Governance Needs Access and Inclusion’

Project overview

Disabled people represent the world’s largest minority group at 15% of the global population. The WHO identifies disabled people as more likely to experience adverse socioeconomic outcomes. Barriers to full social and economic inclusion include:

  • inaccessible physical environments and transportation
  • the unavailability of assistive devices and technologies
  • non-adapted means of communication
  • gaps in service delivery
  • discriminatory prejudice and stigma in society

Football is the world’s most popular sport, but inaccessible infrastructure, services, information, policies and procedures still exclude and discriminate against disabled people.

50% of disabled people in Europe have never attended a public or sporting event and one-third have never travelled or taken a day trip. Furthermore, research conducted by Opinium points out that 80% of the disabled fans who attended have experienced discrimination at a football stadia causing two-thirds of those supporters to stop attending matches.

Good governance needs access and inclusion to ensure positive matchday experiences for much wider and diverse groups. It is estimated that improved accessibility benefits up to 40% of attendees, including people who do not speak the local language, people with temporary injuries, elderly people and parents with young children. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the number of people who benefit from good access is now much higher.

To ensure a truly accessible environment for all, and one where disabled people can take their rightful place in the game, it is vital that access and inclusion of disabled people is integrated into sports governing body core strategies. Collaboration between a National Football Association (NA) or Club and their disabled supporters is essential to sustainable improvements that genuinely benefit the local disabled population.

National disabled supporter associations (NDSAs) play a crucial role in unifying and empowering disabled people to act as self-advocates. A pan-disability disabled supporter association (DSA) can advise on access and inclusion at both a club and national level and enables disabled people to speak with one shared voice on the topic.

Through this Erasmus+ project, we aim to create a platform for increased exchange, understanding and collaboration between NDSAs and their national association and league.

CAFE will be working alongside national associations and leagues in Belgium (KBVB and Pro League), France (FFF and LFP) and Germany (DFB and DFL), as well national disabled supporters associations from each country (Inter, FFSFH and BBAG respectively), and Universidade Europeia - Portugal (ENSILIS).

Together, we will work towards good governance in sport through ensuring disabled fan feedback is integrated into national strategies to improve access and inclusion in football. This project will serve as a pilot, creating a tested roadmap and supporting toolkit for other NAs, Leagues and disabled fan groups across Europe and beyond to implement the project in their own countries.

A range of project activities have been agreed upon, including workshops with national associations, leagues and NDSAs, surveys of disabled fans, and the development of national access strategies. As project coordinator, CAFE will communicate news and updates of the project via our website and social media channels.

Coordinator information

For more information about the ‘Good Governance Needs Access and Inclusion’ project, please contact the project coordinator, CAFE, either by email [email protected] or telephone +44 (0)208 065 5108.

The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

 EU flag along with the text: Co-funded by Erasmus+

Erasmus+ Partners

Erasmus+ Partners

Find out more about the Erasmus+ project Partners. Read more

Published: 23rd February, 2021

Author: Josh Emerson

Related topics:
  • Erasmus+ Project
Intellectual outputs

Intellectual outputs

Reports and guidance published as part of the Erasmus+ Project. Read more

Published: 23rd February, 2021

Updated: 24th February, 2021

Author: Josh Emerson

Related topics:
  • Erasmus+ Project
Project News

Project News

All the latest Erasmus+ updates and information. Read more

Published: 23rd February, 2021

Author: Josh Emerson

Related topics:
  • Erasmus+ Project
Back to top

Showing 10 of 3

Latest

  • Intellectual outputs

    Intellectual outputs

    Reports and guidance published as part of the Erasmus+ Project.

  • Project News

    Project News

    All the latest Erasmus+ updates and information.

  • Erasmus+ Partners

    Erasmus+ Partners

    Find out more about the Erasmus+ project Partners.

  • Erasmus+ Project 'Good Governance Needs Access and Inclusion’

    Erasmus+ Project 'Good Governance Needs Access and Inclusion’

    Find out more about the Erasmus+ Project 'Good Governance Needs Access and Inclusion’.

Most read

  • "I felt like we had let him down - that we should have seen the signs"

    CAFE Media and Communications Manager shares his experience around suicide prevention on World Mental Health Day 2019

  • CAFE is recruiting - Media and Communications Assistant

    CAFE is recruiting - Media and Communications Assistant

    Find out more about this exciting opportunity and apply to join the CAFE team today!

  • “Keep dancing, keep doing what you are doing”

    “Keep dancing, keep doing what you are doing”

    Celebrating World Down Syndrome Day with Ella Markham's #MyMatchday story

  • Take part in online Football For All talks

    Take part in online Football For All talks

    Free webinars available on topics linked to sport, innovation and disability

  • Apply now to become a CAFE Accessibility Monitor at UEFA EURO 2020!

    Apply now to become a CAFE Accessibility Monitor at UEFA EURO 2020!

    Locally based disabled people will be recruited to attend a number of matches and provide detailed feedback

  • Third DAO Network Group meeting kicks off

    Third DAO Network Group meeting kicks off

    The two-day workshop will take place remotely due to ongoing travel restrictions

  • Apply to become an audio-descriptive commentator at UEFA EURO 2020

    Apply to become an audio-descriptive commentator at UEFA EURO 2020

    Training seminars are being held across the host venues to deliver ADC at all UEFA EURO 2020 matches

  • Sport, Accessibility, Inclusion - for disabled people

    Sport, Accessibility, Inclusion - for disabled people

    CAFE has launched our new brand, mission and vision for the coming years

  • Manchester City stream live ADC for UEFA Champions League fixture

    Manchester City stream live ADC for UEFA Champions League fixture

    Manchester City provide Audio-Descriptive Commentary (ADC) live from the Etihad Stadium.

  • CAFE has proposal to deliver Erasmus+ project accepted

    CAFE has proposal to deliver Erasmus+ project accepted

    The project, entitled ‘Good Governance Needs Access and Inclusion’ will last for three years, starting in January 2021 and running until December 2023.

Sign-up for our Newsletter

Please enter your first name
Please enter your last name
Please enter your email address Please enter a valid email address (e.g. [email protected])

Useful links

  • Acceptable use policy
  • Accessibility Information
  • Cookie Policy
  • Sitemap
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Admin login
  • Log out

Find us

Centre for Access to Football in Europe,
The European Football Hub, The Record Hall,
16-16A Baldwins Gardens,
London, EC1N 7RJ


  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn

Company no. 06953363 - Registered Charity no. 1131339