DSAs are a user-led disabled representative groups, that aim to have a unifying voice to raise awareness for their fellow disabled fans.
They work towards building stronger relationships and effective ongoing communication with their clubs and non-disabled fans.
Keep reading to find out how Level Playing Field can help you set up, support, advise and grow your DSA.
“A unified voice is the most powerful instrument for change, and for some disabled supporters, their voices are not being heard” – Liam Bird, Level Playing Field’s Fans Liaison Officer.
If you’re considering setting up a disabled supporters’ association (DSA), that is great! Let us explain how Level Playing Field can assist you in this endeavour.
By establishing a DSA, you have the opportunity to amplify the voices of fellow disabled supporters and drive positive changes in areas they believe need improvement.
Additionally, it allows you to educate both your club and non-disabled supporters about access and inclusion issues while fostering a sense of community among fellow fans.
This initiative also offers a chance to engage with and share experiences with DSAs in England and Wales, promoting awareness and exchange of insights.
Level Playing Field has played a role in establishing over 40 DSAs across England and Wales. We are here to support you in launching and running your DSA, providing practical advice and assistance, including:
- Guidance in creating a self-sufficient and sustainable framework, including job descriptions and draft constitutions.
- Assistance in developing a 3-year strategic action plan that aligns with your committee to facilitate the growth of your DSA.
- Coordination of regional forums, enabling your DSA to connect with other regional DSAs. This facilitates networking, information sharing, and best practice sharing between clubs and disabled fans.
- Support in collaborating with your club to promote current and future best practices.
- Assistance in establishing connections with local community organisations and charities that offer alternative and accessible services, such as quiet spaces and audio descriptive commentary, to benefit your fellow supporters.
Testimonies,
Fulham – Chairperson Mark Davies
“From our first meeting as a group of disabled Fulham fans, Level Playing Field has been there to help advise us on establishing the Disabled Supporters Association.
At the start of this process, it all felt rather daunting. However, members of Level Playing Field were there at the meetings, helping us clarify what we were trying to achieve. In addition, They helped give direction and structure based on their experience of working with many other DSAs.
This experience helped us gain the confidence to become a group and understand how we could work in close partnership with the club to promote the matchday experience for supporters with disabilities.
Even early on, the importance of this organisation became apparent when a number of challenging situations were presented to us. Again, Level Playing Field was willing and ready to help guide us to making strong, clear decisions.
During the first few meetings, the club and the DSA would look to Level Playing Field for direction, but as the club DSA partnership grew, we were able to gain the confidence and trust that has helped us to make progress on several important issues.
As well as working with the supporters, an important part of the role of Level Playing Field in establishing a DSA at a club is to provide reassurance to the club that the group will be working in partnership with the club and not against them. Identification of these common goals enables both to appreciate the benefit of the partnership. Level Playing Field says that a DSA should view itself as a “critical friend” to a club.
There needs to be an understanding of the reality of the situation, but that the DSA should not be afraid to point out areas of concern and challenge the club if necessary.
During our time, we identified several issues which we felt strongly enough that we needed to bring to the club, but even as we raised these issues, the knowledge that the DSA was acting as a critical friend meant that the club knew that we had the interests of disabled fans at heart. That understanding helped us to address these issues calmly and tactfully. Level Playing Field helped the DSA and Club to understand that. Because, as a collective, we are all looking for better access and inclusion for all.”
Wycombe Wanderers – Committee Member Peter Lerner
“Wycombe Wanderers Football Club is 25% owned by its supporters via the Wycombe Wanderers Trust.
During the COVID lockdown, the Trust agreed with the majority owners that this was a good time for the Club to reach out further into the local community, to talk to supporters (and potential supporters), and to find out how they feel about coming back to Adams Park next season.
We realised that we knew very little about the needs of our disabled supporters and were conscious that many disabilities could not be easily identified. Our recently appointed Club Safety Officer, Steve Copp, gave us the answer: “Contact Level Playing Field, they are brilliant”.
We contacted Level Playing Field, and their support and encouragement have been nothing short of magnificent.
We now have a thriving Disabled Supporters Association. On their advice, we invited supporters to the stadium to walk around and compile a list of necessary improvements to make the experiences of disabled supporters more pleasurable (many of which have already been actioned by the Club).
Level Playing Field also put the DSA in contact with other clubs (and a big call out to the wonderful people of Swansea City DSA).
With their experience and expertise, Level Playing Field has given our DSA the confidence to make significant progress and help bring better access and inclusion for Wycombe Wanderers disabled supporters. ”
If you would like to learn more about how you can go about setting up your own DSA then please email our Fans Liaison Officer Liam at liam@levelplayingfield.org.uk or call 01923 545 370 or 07566 831 627