The Level Playing Field campaign will see sporting communities across England and Wales come together at matchdays throughout the first two weeks of March.
We have invited four students from Redwood Secondary School in Rochdale to present the match ball before kick-off on Saturday, as well as raising a Level Playing Field banner before the coin toss.
Dale and Redwood have a long-standing partnership, which sees students on their Supported Internship programme play a vital part in the behind-the-scenes running of the club during the week.
Dale players will also be wearing Level Playing Field shirts during the warm-up before the game.
There are more than 16 million disabled people in the UK, representing almost a quarter of the population, as the largest minority.
Many of those disabled people are sports fans and we believe all supporters should be able to enjoy matchdays. Structural and societal barriers can prevent many disabled supporters from having that experience, however.
Everyone can have an impact on making matchdays more inclusive. The 2024 Level Playing Field Annual Fan Survey results revealed ‘attitudes of others’ is the second most common barrier to disabled fans. We want to be part of a change in attitudes, to change matchdays for the better.
We also recognise that ‘physical access’ remains the most common barrier to disabled fans attending and are committed to making the Crown Oil Arena accessible to all. We invite feedback from supporters on this, as we look to make improvements.
Disability can be a complex subject matter, and that is why we invite both disabled and nondisabled fans to engage with us through this important campaign and to ensure access and inclusion is at the heart of everything we do.
We ask you all to…
Unite for Your Team
Unite for Your Fans
#UniteForAccess
To find out more about the work of Level Playing Field, please visit levelplayingfield.org.uk, or find them across social media by searching Level Playing Field.
