An article by CAFE Managing Director, Joyce Cook OBE, was recently published by bot the French-language edition of the Huffington Post, and in the Sport and Citizenship journal.

The article, entitled ‘Total Football, Total Access’, explores the wider impact that football can have on providing good access for disabled people, and how that can act as a springboard to further the integration of disabled people into society.

Joyce makes specific reference to Romania, where CAFE has established a strong working relationship with the ActiveWatch disability organisation. The 2012 UEFA Europa League Final, which CAFE advised on, took place in Bucharest. The match became the largest ever gathering of disabled people at one event in Romania, with over 300 disabled supporters known to have attended. Seats for disabled supporters were integrated into the general allocation, meaning that disabled people were alongside their fellow fans at the match. This is a fantastic example of the role that football can have in an inclusive society.

The opportunity to write the article came about out of CAFE’s recent works with Sport and Citizenship. CAFE recently attended Sport and Citizenship’s ‘The Football We Love’ event in Brussels, Belgium, where Joyce spoke on the role that football can play in improving access and inclusion for disabled people.

The ‘Total Football, Total Access’ article is available to read in both English and French (PDF) – please click here. The full Sport and Citizenship journal can be viewed by clicking here.

A version of this article is also available in Polish and French. 

Published 03/07/2013