GR
On the occasion of the 2024 UEFA Europa Conference League final, held at the OPAP ARENA on May 29, UEFA, the UEFA Foundation, CAFE, and the social enterprise “Me Alla Matia” collaborated for the second time to evaluate the accessibility of the event by disabled individuals themselves.
Specifically, CAFE (Center for Access to Football in Europe) operates to remove existing barriers, focusing on “universal access” by leveraging the power of sports as a catalyst for the inclusion of disabled individuals.
With the motto “Sports | Accessibility | Inclusion for people with disabilities,” it implements supportive actions and services in the following areas for full access:
✅ to the live sports experience
✅ to the empowerment of fans with disabilities
✅ to knowledge and information
✅ to an inclusive world for disability
✅ to a sustainable environment and climate for all
striving for a world where disabled individuals are an integral part of the global sports scene as fans, employees, volunteers, and leaders.
The closer collaboration between CAFE and NPO “Me Alla Matia” began in August 2023 and is officially implemented so that everyone has equal opportunities in an accessible, inclusive sports environment.
Our country was globally advertised through the hosting of the 2024 UEFA Europa Conference League and the 2023 UEFA Super Cup, with an abundant turnout of fans from around the world. Among them were many disabled and mobility-impaired individuals who came to enjoy the match, knowing that UEFA adheres to European accessibility standards and offers equal experiences to those with reduced mobility, both during their arrival and departure from the stadium and during the match.
Some of the accessible provisions included:
- Trained “Social Responsibility” volunteers for the exclusive support of disabled fans inside and outside the stadium.
- Audio description of the match for visually impaired individuals in Greek, English, and the language of the respective finalist team, accessible through the Raydio – Audio Inclusion app available on Google Play and the App Store. The description is specialized by trained individuals to include all important visual information such as body language, facial expressions, scenes, action, clothing, colors, and anything else important for conveying the image, space, match, event, or surrounding atmosphere. During the match, the commentator describes the action on the field rather than discussing statistics, tactics, or providing lengthy summaries of previous moments.
- Accessible toilets within the stadium.
- Easy Access Tickets for people with limited mobility.
- Detailed description of accessible provisions and access information on the UEFA website.
- Designated seating for wheelchair users.
- Free tickets for the companions of disabled individuals.
- Provision of simple wheelchairs for easier movement within the stadium for people with limited mobility.
Supporting this massive inclusion effort last year and this year was NPO “Me Alla Matia”!
As part of these actions, the President of NPO “Me Alla Matia”, Vangelis Avgoulas, was selected again this year as the Accessibility Observer of the event, undertaking to examine and experience the provisions in order to provide appropriate feedback aimed at improving these services from the perspective of the end user. This collaboration was based on Mr. Avgoulas’ relevant experience, who, by coordinating the target groups of disabled individuals of AMKE “Me Alla Matia”, acts as an Accessibility Consultant for companies and organizations, designing inclusion strategies. As an Accessibility Observer, Mr. Avgoulas provided a detailed evaluation within 48 hours, accompanied by relevant photographic material, among other things, for the ticket management application, audio description, accessible toilets, support from specialized volunteers, the behavior of stewards towards disabled fans, the experience within the stadium, the treatment of their companion by the organization, etc.
Together with Mr. Avgoulas at both finals was the disabled collaborator of AMKE “Me Alla Matia”, Christos Meletis, a Social Worker and manager of the social networks page “Kapten AmeArica” aiming to inform about disability issues, who noted:
“It was a great honor to be at the final of the Europa Conference Cup 2024 as an official accessibility evaluator, a role I took very seriously, as I take accessibility very seriously in every context in which I find myself in my daily life. The accessibility of the final was satisfactory, and it was obvious that the organization paid great attention to ensuring that disabled individuals had the best possible experience watching the match. Beyond that, through my feedback, I hope to contribute to making football more friendly to spectators with disabilities. Finally, I would like to thank UEFA, CAFE, and ‘Me Alla Matia’ for the trust they showed me.”
In conclusion, let’s congratulate Olympiacos on their historic victory in this year’s European Cup!
Moreover, Olympiacos, led by the Director of CSR of the football club, Mr. Nikos Gavala, pioneers in accessibility issues, having, for example, established in Greece the free audio description service of their home matches for blind fans!
