- February 25, 2017
- Posted by: SportsV
- Categories: Home News, Industry News, News
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Leicester City Football Club (LCFC) has confirmed that a stadium-wide upgrade of the facilities available for supporters with disabilities has taken place, helping to ensure King Power Stadium is accessible for all.
LCFC joins a number of English Premier League (EPL) clubs, including Manchester United, Liverpool and Stoke City, who have all recently upgraded their facilities for the benefit of all fans.
On the Leicester City website, a Club statement read:
Leicester City are pleased to announce a stadium-wide upgrade in the facilities available for supporters with disabilities has taken place, helping to ensure King Power Stadium is accessible for all.The Club are committed to ensuring the stadium is accessible to all supporters and the upgrade in facilities will ensure all fans are able to make the most of their matchday experience on Filbert Way for future seasons.
As part of the upgrade in facilities, LCFC recently installed a Changing Places toilet in the South Stand, which offers a height-adjustable adult-sized changing bench, tracking hoist and adequate space in the room for supporters with disabilities and their carers.
The introduction of the Changing Places toilet will help compliment the facilities already in place at King Power Stadium, including the accessibility toilets, which are available in every concourse and have recently been refurbished in the hospitality areas.
Away from the matchday experience, the Club are also committed to ensuring all visitors are able to enjoy and make the most of their visit. As a result, the Club have introduced hearing loops throughout all concourses and hospitality areas, while portable hearing loops are also available upon request from the main reception.
To support the above facilities, the Club are also proud to offer supporters with disabilities:
– Pitch level seating, in the East and West stands, for wheelchair users with spaces for carers
– Upper and lower platform seating for wheelchair users throughout the ground, with spaces for carers
– Designated seating throughout the stadium for ambulant supporters with disabilities
Furthermore, to enhance the experience for supporters with disabilities attending King Power Stadium on a matchday, the Club also offers an audio descriptive service, which provides supporters with visual impairments a real-time account of the match action, which differs to traditional radio commentary and brings the supporters closer to the action.
For more information on the facilities available at King Power Stadium for supporters with disabilities, please see the Club’s 2016/17 Accessibility Guide* which is available in large print, braille and audio, or visit the Disabled Go website.
While these changes have already been made to King Power Stadium, the Club are committed to continually improving the facilities and accessibility of the ground. As a result, Leicester City Football Club have appointed DJS Research to conduct independent survey. Any supporters who would like to take part in the research, are asked to register their details online by clicking here. (Please note, by taking part in the survey your details will be shared with DJS Research.) If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact the Club’s Supporter Liaison and Disability Access Officer by emailing Jim.Donnelly@lcfc.co.uk.
*Any supporters who would like a copy of the Club’s Accessibility Guide in an alternative format, should email disability@lcfc.co.uk or call: +44 (0)116 2294544.
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Image of King Power Stadium, courtesy: Leicester City FC / Image by: Plumb Images
Make sure to also read…
Improving disabled access in Premier League stadia
In September 2015, English Premier League (EPL) Clubs unanimously agreed to meet the standards set out in the “Accessible Stadia: A good practice guide to the design of facilities to meet the needs of disabled spectators and other users” (ASG) by the start of the football season 2017/2018. The ASG was first published in 2005 with supplementary guidance published in August 2015.
Since the decision was taken, EPL Clubs have embarked on a substantial programme of improvements, building on a long tradition of welcoming disabled fans to their grounds. Clubs recognised that more could be done and the work now underway is bringing about the most significant single set of changes to football grounds since the Taylor Report was published in 1990. It is almost certainly the largest and most ambitious set of improvements in disabled access undertaken by any group of sport or entertainment venues in the UK. The infrastructure where these improvements are being made is in many cases technically challenging with some structures in excess of 150 years old. Despite these circumstances, all Premier League clubs are already heavily involved in improvements and as can be seen from the attached information, are working hard on delivery.
To read the full interim report, go to: http://www.levelplayingfield.org.uk/sites/default/files/contentfiles/pl_interim_report_january_2017.pdf
Make sure to also read the interview with LCFC’s Grounds Manager, John Ledwidge, by clicking here.
