A Europe-wide celebration of accessibility in football

For more than a decade, AccessibAll has celebrated inclusion in football through its yearly #TotalAccess Week of Action campaign. This gives national associations, leagues, clubs, fans and partners a chance to highlight efforts focused on the inclusion of disabled people across European football, and to promote accessibility beyond the game.

This year's campaign once again showcased football as a force for inclusion and social impact, with activities taking place across the continent.

Inclusion on the international stage

As fans took their seats at the Stadio di Bergamo for Italy's FIFA World Cup qualifying play-off match against Northern Ireland, videos and messages from AccessibAll greeted them from the big screens.

A group of young disabled people, with a variety of disabilities, were watching from a dedicated quiet room, set up by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) to allow the group to watch the match in a safe and calm environment.

The FIGC implemented multiple initiatives for Italy's World Cup play-off match against Northern IrelandUEFA via Getty Images

The FIGC's efforts extended beyond the stadium too, with hundreds of blind and partially sighted fans able to access audio-descriptive commentary of the game from home via an app for the first time – an initiative that the FIGC plans to roll out at future matches.

Across the Adriatic, the Croatian Football Federation also used the Week of Action to highlight its provision of audio-descriptive commentary, helping blind and partially sighted fans enjoy the full stadium experience.

"Thanks to audio description, I can fully experience the match and be involved in every moment of it," said Davor Gergorić, a member of the Zagreb Association of the Blind. "Compared to watching a match at home, it is completely different. It is truly a special experience that is hard to put into words."

Audio-descriptive commentary enhances the matchday experience for blind and partially sighted fansUEFA

Action at club level

Clubs, too, are playing their part. AEK Athens – a recipient of AccessibAll's Access Champions Recognition – used their Greek Super League match against Kifisia to support the campaign and reaffirm their commitment to making football a space of belonging and equal opportunity.

A message played out over the stadium's audio system ("Everyone deserves to be present. Everyone deserves to participate. Without exclusions. Without discrimination.") before goalkeeper Thomas Strakosha appeared on the big screens to deliver a clear message: "AEK welcomes all. Football belongs to everyone."

The previous day, Toulouse became the first French club to be awarded the Access Champions Recognition. The initiative involves a full review of a club's approach to accessibility and their disabled fans' matchday experience, followed by ongoing support from AccessibAll.

Continued collaboration

UEFA has a long history of working with AccessibAll as part of our ambition to guarantee barrier-free access for any individual wanting to play, attend events or work in football.

The recently updated UEFA Accessibility Guidelines are a direct result of that collaboration, providing resources to help national associations, leagues and clubs embed accessibility into their infrastructure and everyday processes.

The UEFA Stadium Infrastructure Regulations and UEFA Sustainable Infrastructure Guidelines have also been revised to include further specifications and requirements related to accessibility.