First Team
CAFE Week of Action
11th March 2019
St. Johnstone Football Club is delighted to be participating in the CAFE Week of Action 2019 – Total Football, Total Access.
CAFE (Centre for Access to Football in Europe) aims to improve access and inclusion within the game that we love. CAFE is working hard to ensure disabled people can take their rightful place amongst their peers within football – from grassroots to the boardroom - as fans, guests, volunteers, employees, coaches and players, and as leaders and decision makers.
The CAFE Week of Action is an annual initiative which celebrates access for all and promotes the wider inclusion of disabled people in football, and we at St. Johnstone Football Club are delighted to be joining with other stakeholders across Europe to promote the important message of access and inclusion for all – Total Football, Total Access.
We will be hosting a series of events here at McDiarmid Park to celebrate Total Access as part of CAFE Week of Action 2019, including a fully inclusive work experience matchday versus St Mirren FC on Saturday 16th March, a British Sign Language interpreted stadium tour, interviews with disabled fans and a match between the Community Trust's Mental Wellbeing Team and St. Johnstone U17s.
McDiarmid Park is now more accessible than ever, with many new initiatives having been implemented in recent years, such as:
- Large print menus at kiosks
- Improved signage throughout the stadium
- Additional accessible loos
- ‘At your seat catering’ for fans and PAs occupying our wheelchair platforms
- Increased number of accessible parking bays/improved booking system
- Ramp installation at our club shop
- RECITE ME software installed on our website to make it as accessible as possible
We were delighted to be presented with the ‘Most Accessible Venue Award 2018’ for Perth & Kinross recently in recognition for our ongoing commitment to accessibility and inclusion.
Disabled people are the largest minority group and it can be fairly assumed that many of the one billion disabled people living today will be football fans – the world’s most popular sport.
Many can still only aspire to watch live football with many stadiums around the world not yet accessible and inclusive. The Centre for Access to Football in Europe was established in 2009 with support from UEFA to improve access and inclusion across the game using the special influence of football.
More than just a motto, ‘Total Football, Total Access’ is what the game should be aspiring to achieve, and St. Johnstone Football Club is dedicated to improving access and inclusion for all disabled people.
Twitter: @StJohnstone / @SJFC_SLO / @cafefootball
cafefootball.eu