As today is the International Day of People with Disabilities, it is a timely reminder of the work being done by the club and Chesterfield FC Community Trust in this area.
Following the takeover of the club by the Community Trust, one of the stated aims was to make the Technique Stadium the most accessible sports stadium in the UK.
A Changing Places facility was installed when the HUB was opened, making it one of the first such facilities in a football stadium.
When the new club website was launched earlier this year, there was a focus on making it easier for people with disabilities to access and a project to produce a sensory story to help people with autism plan for a trip to the stadium will get underway shortly.
The Trust’s mental health programmes and expanding work with children and young adults around pan-disability projects have also received much praise.
The 2020 International Day of People with Disabilities theme is ‘Not all Disabilities are Visible’, which focuses on spreading awareness and understanding of disabilities that are not immediately apparent, such as mental illness, chronic pain or fatigue, sight or hearing impairments, diabetes, brain injuries, neurological disorders, learning differences and cognitive dysfunctions, among others.
According to the WHO World Report on Disability, 15 per cent of the world’s population, or more than 1 billion people, are living with disability. Of this number, it’s estimated 450 million are living with a mental or neurological condition— and two-thirds of these people will not seek professional medical help, largely due to stigma, discrimination and neglect.
