FEATURE: Celebrating International Day of Persons with Disabilities

On International Day of Persons with Disabilities, Derby County is recognising its supporters and the wider community, and the steps which will continue to be taken, to ensure Pride Park Stadium is an accessible place for all.

International Day of Persons with Disabilities is a day that is celebrated every year on 3rd December.

The day is about promoting the rights and well-being of persons with disabilities at every level of society and development, and to raise awareness of the situation of persons with disabilities in all aspects of political, social, economic, and cultural life.

Through long-standing work of the club’s Disability Access Officer, Derby County Disabled Supporters’ Club and Derby County Community Trust, they club ensures it makes reasonable adjustments wherever possible to allow everyone to be able to attend a game at Pride Park Stadium.

Across the past 12 months, the club have widened its offer to include:

- Launching an Accessibility Toolkit - including ear defenders, communication card lanyards, downloadable matchday checklists and fidget toys.

- Introducing an Online Matchday Accessibility Guide and an Online Accessibility Hub, including an Away Supporters section.

- Installing an in-seat food and drinks service on the main wheelchair platform in the North-East corner, using external order screens to reduce the need for wheelchair users to get down to concourse level while it is busy during half-time.

- Increasing availability of the club’s Audio Descriptive service.

- Offering priority access windows at Player Signing Sessions and on home matchdays in Harrison’s Hub - providing a quieter space for supporters before general admission, with additional sensory toys.

- Implementing subtitles in core matchday video features and displaying all line-ups, substitutions and goal graphics on the in-bowl screen.

- Developing our relationship with the Royal School for the Deaf Derby, including inviting their students to a matchday, recognising the achievements of three students representing GB in the Deaflympics, and working with the Community Trust to support their sessions in the school.

Derby County are also planning to stage a survey around multiple areas around Pride Park Stadium, from emergency and safety announcements, training for matchday staff, adjustments at Supporter Events, where required, and the creation of a Deaf/Hard of Hearing Supporters’ Group.

All of these developments run in conjunction with all of our existing provisions, including the matchday buggy service, sensory rooms and the wide-ranging sessions delivered by Derby County Community Trust across Derbyshire.

Derby County Community Trust’s Sensory Rooms continue to ensure that everyone has chance to enjoy watching the Rams in action.

Tailored for children and young adults with additional needs, they offer a calm and secure space in a hospitality box, with the option to watch the match from inside or outside. Funds raised from the sale of blocks on the Community Trust’s 1884 wall will be put towards maintaining and staffing these facilities for seasons to come.

In addition, the Community Trust’s long-standing disability programmes champion inclusive football for all abilities, offering tailored opportunities for individuals with physical disabilities and additional needs. These include pan-disability and impairment specific sessions such as DS Active, the Community Trust’s Down’s Syndrome football team.

Emma Drury, Derby County’s Disability Access Officer, said: “As Disability Access Officer, I work to remove barriers so that every supporter can enjoy matchday with confidence and independence.

“Recently, we have updated our Accessibility Hub to make information easier to navigate, adding FAQs, purchase guides, videos, a dedicated away supporter area, a matchday accessibility guide, and useful tools like checklists and communication cards.

“These resources give supporters everything they need to plan their visit and enjoy the day with confidence.”

Derby County are committed to supporting access to Pride Park Stadium, aiming to remove any barriers that exist to help all fans watch the team they love.