“I missed out”: Young disabled people are less likely to attend live sport, data shows
Young disabled people are less likely to have attended a live sporting event by the age of 16 than non-disabled people according to data from Sport England.
The Active Lives Survey 2023 showed that 45.7% of non-disabled children had attended at least two live sporting events within the last year, compared to 39.7% of disabled children between school years 5 to 11.
While six percent might not represent as large a disparity as one might imagine, it still indicates that work remains to be done to make live sport as accessible as possible.
More concerningly, this disparity increases with age. The difference between disabled and non-disabled children in school years 5-6 who have attended live sporting events is just 3.5%. By years 9-11 this increases to a disparity of 8.3%.
Interestingly, attendance for non-disabled children stays consistent between year 5 and year 11. For disabled children, it is a different story as there is a noticeable drop-off in attendance over the same period by 4.6%.
Such a trend could be explained by the growing levels of independence throughout these age groups. As non-disabled people transition to attending with friends, the barriers that exist for disabled people can mean they remain reliant on the support of their parents.
While most sporting venues require an accompanying adult until the age of 16, children will become more likely to attend in friendship groups accompanied by just one supervising adult throughout this period.
Disabled people who have more specific support needs may be reliant on one informed parent or carer to be available to take them.
Jack Booth, 25, is a regular match-goer and wheelchair user who follows Liverpool around the country. He found that as he got his own independence, his attendance at matches increased.
“Personally, being able to access live sport is something I’ve done as I’ve got older because of just wanting your personal independence and to do things on your own with friends,” he reflects.
“It helps when someone like myself is able to drive rather than relying on someone else to take you places.”
On the surface, Jack reflects an opposing trend to that shown by the data, attending more games as he gets older. It is notable, however, that he links this to being able to drive which becomes legal at 17.
The decline could also be attributed to venues not providing an equally enjoyable experience for disabled children to encourage them to keep coming back.
Arsenal fan George now attends numerous live sporting events including darts and cricket. He also plays a big role among Arsenal Women’s fans as a member of their Supporters’ Club and, most importantly, co-creator of the viral ‘24 Lacasse’ chant.
However, he struggled to find enjoyment in sport when he was younger as someone who is registered blind.
“That was when I started to lose my eyesight, so I wasn’t aware of accessibility or disability awareness,” explains George.
“People at school had quite a bit more eyesight than me, so there were things that I missed out for a long time. It wasn’t until I left school and I was made aware of an organisation called the RNIB [that I would begin to attend regularly].
“[When I was younger] it was less likely that I would be going to a sporting event unless it was with a family member, but it wasn’t off my own back.”
Age is not the only factor that influences attendance, however.
How does wealth affect accessibility?
The Active Lives Survey shows that the level of deprivation is arguably the strongest determining factor as to whether a child has attended a live sporting event.
The data shows a clear correlation between those in the most deprived areas having lower attendance rates compared to those in the least deprived areas having the highest attendance.
Attendance among disabled and non-disabled children increases with lesser deprivation. Perhaps surprisingly, however, the disparity between disabled and non-disabled also increases with lesser deprivation.
In the most deprived areas, there is only a 2.4% difference between disabled and non-disabled attendance, whereas in the least deprived areas, this increases to a 6.8% difference.
This could possibly be due to greater choice associated with higher levels of disposable income. It could be possible that the barriers disabled people face at sports events result in a greater proportion of the children, who are given the option, choosing other pursuits.
Disability advocate and Dundee United fan Jon Attenborough is currently attempting to visit all 42 professional football grounds in Scotland with his guide dog Sam. He shared a similar experience to George in his ability to enjoy live events as a child.
“I didn’t go to football as much at that age, and the games that I did go to were with my younger brother and my dad,” he says. “It always felt like I was missing out on part of the enjoyment because audio-descriptive commentary wasn’t a thing.
“I was still part of the match day atmosphere. You can kind of get the gist of what’s going on by the crowd’s reactions. But not being able to see what was happening on the pitch I didn’t get that full matchday experience.”
Money also plays a role in accessibility when it comes to the finances of individual sports clubs. Jon pointed out that, in football, his experience of accessibility varies depending on the level of the club.
For example, in the Champions League, each club has to meet certain standards of accessibility and almost certainly have the funds to make this possible.
“It gets particularly difficult when you go to the smaller grounds,” says Jon. “For example, there might not be step-free access. Some of the old grounds here in Scotland still have the old terrace in on most of the stands. If you’re in a wheelchair, that’s going to be really difficult.”
In the WSL, where clubs play at both the main stadium and a smaller non-league ground, this disparity comes into stark relief.
“There are quite a few stadiums through WSL that don’t have [audio-description] headsets,” emphasises Arsenal Women’s fan George. “For me, every team that’s in the WSL now is [equivalent to] a Premier League men’s team and they would have it.
“Going to Emirates can be accessible because you get a headset. When you go to Meadow Park, there’s not anything like that there, so I have to rely on going with friends and them telling me what’s going on in the game.”
Yet, regardless of the wealth of sports clubs, it is clear there remains work to be done at all levels to ensure disabled children and adults are just as likely to attend sport as non-disabled people.
Accessibility remains a problem
Even after financial and age barriers are addressed, the sports industry still has work to do to ensure accessibility is where it needs to be.
Football and tennis fan Ryan, 24, is a wheelchair user who is all too aware of the barriers in place to access live sport.
“The view you get of the actual sporting event itself doesn’t have a lot of thought behind it,” he says. “Often marketing hoardings are obscuring the way and it can make it hard to see over. I’ve been to tennis where that’s been the case. You think why is no one thinking about this?
“Also, some of the platforms that you can put your beverages on when you’re watching are quite high up as well. There have been a few occasions when I have bought things, and I’ve spilt drinks over me.
“I’m quite frustrated. People are still paying because you pay for tickets to see things and then you aren’t able to see them in the same way.”
Ryan also highlighted considerations such as taking longer to get a drink in stadiums and the difficulty of reaching vending areas in a wheelchair, suggesting there is still a long way to go.
In addition to a lack of thought into arrangements inside the venue, sports clubs and bodies are often left wanting in their support for fans preparing to attend events.
“The biggest barrier is probably lack of information provided by the clubs,” asserts Jon. “The logistical planning around making sure I’ve got everything I need for my guide dog on the day and contacting the club a week before just to make sure there’s an accessible seating area. I think it would put a lot of people off.”
Why is accessibility important?
There remains an urgent need to ensure equal access to live sporting events for children.
“It encourages people with disabilities to have their independence and have a social life,” says George. “With football I haven’t got to worry about work or personal stuff or my mental health. It’s an escape.
“Why shouldn’t it be any different to someone who doesn’t have a disability and is able to enjoy and embrace that?”
As we approach a bumper summer of sports that will include a starring role for the Paralympic Games, it is important we remember that those athletes are fans too.
“If you want the best team and para-athletes or Paralympians available to represent your nation, then they’ve got to be able to start to watch the sport,” insists Ryan. “I’ve never heard of anyone start a sport before watching it.”
Every child, regardless of ability, deserves access to sports that can inspire and offer an escape from the pressures of daily life.
At a time when the UK Government seem intent on attacking the rights of disabled people in the country, it is even more important that sport steps up.
“When you go to support your team, you have that sense of belonging, of being part of something and being around like-minded people,” says Jack. “That experience should be there for everybody.”
