Co-Chair and Co-Founder of the West Ham United’s Disabled Supporters Board, Cathy Bayford said: “It was a pleasure to host the Level Playing Field forum at London Stadium. Not only have we taken part in workshops and discussions, but it has also given us the opportunity to showcase the world of the Disabled Supporters Association and highlight the robust relationship our Disabled Supporters Board has with West Ham United. This was evident as we listed some of the initiatives we have seen implemented with us working with the Club to improve the matchday experience for fans with accessibility issues.”
Chief Executive at Level Playing Field, Owain Davies said: “These types of events are paramount to being able to deliver good levels of access. We fundamentally believe that decisions for disabled people are made by disabled people, so we need to ensure that, through the lens of what we’re trying to achieve, disabled people are in the middle of that. They’re lived experience with strong data and expertise. You look at Cathy [Bayford] and Trevor [Bright] from the West Ham United Disabled Supporters Association and how they offer it on a local level directly for West Ham and the success they’ve had from it.
“Level Playing Field hosts four forums each year that are regionally split between the south, midlands, the north, and Wales as well, so the whole idea of the event at London Stadium was to bring all of the fans together, and as a charity we represent the views of disabled fans, but to make change we need to listen to fans and work with clubs to provide the solutions, and often clubs are already delivering solutions. It’s been a very insightful afternoon, and it was an opportunity to listen, bring those points forward, and make changes in order to reinforce good practices.”
The Disabled Supporters’ Association (DSA) is the key conduit between West Ham United’s accessibility supporters and the West Ham United Board and senior management. Chaired by Cathy Bayford and Trevor Bright.
For more information about the Disabled Supporters’ Association (DSA), click HERE.