On Tuesday 7 September, CAFE will hold the 5th European Disability Access Officer (DAO) Network group meeting, with DAOs and other stakeholders from across Europe coming together virtually to exchange best practices. The following day a DAO Exchange Meeting will be held between English and Scottish DAOs.

The DAO Network Group was established in late 2018, with the first meetings being held at FC Barcelona and RB Leipzig. However, due to ongoing travel restrictions attendees are unable to meet in person on this occasion, with the meeting taking place online.

Attending DAOs will have the opportunity to update the group on their works and initiatives during the past year, with a particular focus on matchday steward training. There will be key contributions from Fanny Boyn of Hamburger SV, Daniela Wurbs of KickIn!, Laura Wright of Wolverhampton Wanderers and Andrea Zoppis of FISGC (San Marino FA).

CAFE will provide an update on recent works including the European Access Survey results, and a series of group discussions will be held to share wider suggestions and ideas.

The following day a DAO Exchange Meeting will be held between English and Scottish DAOs. This will be another virtual event as was the case for the previous meeting in June. These meetings provide opportunities to meet counterpart and understand how access works in their stadium and country. 

DAOs from Chelsea FC, Liverpool FC, Manchester City, Aston Villa and a number of other Premier League clubs will take part in group discussions with DAOs from Scottish Clubs including Celtic FC, Heart of Midlothian and Aberdeen FC. 

The last onsite DAO Exchange Meeting was hosted by Manchester City in February 2020 with DAOs from the UK, Germany and Russia coming together with other key stakeholders from within the game to share and develop ideas.

Project Manager Jochen Kemmer, who coordinates the DAO Network Group, said: "I'm exited to be holding another DAO Network Meeting after successful virtual events in February and May. I'm also looking forward to another Exchange Meeting between England and Scotland which will lead to some very interesting discussions and sharing of experiences."

"DAOs have a key role in promoting access and inclusion for all, and the DAO Network Group meeting provides a unique opportunity to share ideas, solutions and best practices to inspire colleagues to tackle similar challenges at their clubs", added Jochen.

You can keep up with the second DAO Network Group meeting on social media using the hashtags #DAONetwork and #TotalAccess.

Find out more about the DAO Network Group, and visit the CAFE DAO Portal for further information and guidance for DAOs.

Published 06/09/2021