Accessibility
Article summary
Our football for all abilities policy has a clear and present goal: everyone in Europe should have access to play or view the beautiful game.
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Article body
European football should be accessible for everyone, whether they are watching or playing the game. But accessibility currently varies significantly from one nation to another, a reflection of different legal and regulatory requirements.
To help level the playing field, we offer financial support to our member associations to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in all areas of football, for example, through our HatTrick development programme, which reinvests men’s EURO revenue into development projects.
We also work with European disability football associations and national associations to increase opportunities to play the game at both grassroots and national team level. This includes training for referees and coaches to work with visually impaired and blind players.
Stadium experience
The accessibility of football stadium facilities is an important consideration when we select venues to host UEFA competition finals and tournaments, particularly regarding infrastructure and services. We ensure there are focal points across European football dedicated to improving stadium accessibility for people with disabilities – at local, club and national level.
On European matchdays, we offer spectator guides for people with disabilities and audio-descriptive commentaries. This service is provided by a specially trained commentator, who provides additional narration describing all significant visual information – body language, facial expressions, scenery, action, clothing, colours. etc. – that is important to conveying the image, venue, match, event or surrounding ambience.
Audio-descriptive commentary
In 2023, we streamlined the process for fans with disabilities to validate their eligibility for accessible tickets. Under the new procedure, the validation process need only be completed once; the buyer is then automatically eligible for accessible tickets to all future UEFA matches.
Collaboration
To learn more about the requirements of people with disabilities who are, or would like to be, involved in the game, we consult with local and national disability groups.
Our long-term partnership with CAFE (Centre for Access to Football in Europe) aims to harness the power of sport to act as a catalyst for disability-inclusive change in wider society. UEFA-CAFE collaboration includes breaking down accessibility barriers, improving spectators' experiences and enabling easier access to football-related jobs.
CAFE’s annual #TotalAccess campaign sees us team up to shine the floodlights on accessibility activities and recognise the many roles that people with disabilities can play across the entire football industry.