The third meeting of the DAO Network Group is continuing into a second day, with Disability Access Officers from across Europe coming together to share ideas and best practices.

The meeting, taking place remotely due to ongoing travel restrictions, is being attended by around 40 DAOs and national Disability Access Officer Coordinators, keen to discuss the common challenges they have faced in their roles and how they have overcome them.

On day one, participants were asked to provide a brief update on recent highlights and initiatives, particularly in the context of adapting during the pandemic.

A number of key projects and initiatives were covered, including the UEFA HatTrick projects delivered in San Marino and Russia, as well as audio-descriptive commentary being implemented at AC Milan, and provided remotely at clubs such as Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers.

CAFE updated on our ongoing campaigns and initiatives, including plans for UEFA EURO 2020 and the upcoming CAFE Week of Action, which takes place between 6-14 March 2021.

Group discussions also took place on access improvements for non-visibly disabled fans and fans with long-term health conditions, after updates on initiatives delivered by Hamburger SV and Everton in the Community around dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

Day two will see guest speakers from Navilens and the Digital Accessibility Centre on new solutions and developments, with a group discussion on ways to improve digital accessibility at clubs, leagues and national associations.

The day will round off with a case study from Bradford City, and discussion on developing volunteering opportunities for disabled people.

Project Manager Jochen Kemmer said, “We enjoyed a particularly engaging first day of the DAO Network Group meeting, with some great ideas shared and interesting points raised. With some innovative key speakers taking part today, we are looking forward to another productive day ahead of us”.

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 9/2/2021