CAFE presented on its works and projects at the recent annual meeting of Bundesbehindertenfanarbeitsgemeinschaft e.V. (BBAG) in Duisburg, Germany.

BBAG is the national disabled supporters association in Germany, working to improve access and inclusion for disabled football fans across Germany since 1999.

The two-day event was attended by around 100 people, including representatives of disabled supporters associations (DSAs) and club Disability Access Officers (DAOs) from many German clubs.

CAFE’s Jochen Kemmer and Amy Wilson presented at the meeting, discussing topics such as the importance of access and inclusion and the developing role of DAO.

The presentation also included updates on CAFE's support for DSAs, the importance of disabled fans' feedback and the upcoming CAFE Week of Action 2018.

The Deutsche Fußball Liga's (DFL) Arne Stratman also attended the meeting to present the updated version "DFL-Empfehlungen zur Barrierefreiheit" - the DFL's guidance document on accessibility. This document was co-written in partnership with BBAG.

Gerrard von Gorrissen of the DFL also hosted a question and answer session, allowing disabled supporters to raise issues and concerns directly with the League.

Speaking at the close of the event, Amy said “We would like to offer our thanks to everyone at BBAG for giving CAFE the opportunity to attend this great event, and to present some of the projects that CAFE are currently working on.

"CAFE is committed to supporting a game that is welcoming and inclusive for all. It was fantastic to hear from the attending DSAs and DAOs on how they are working together to improve the matchday experience for disabled fans in Germany”.

A version of this article is also available in German.

Published 14/11/2017