CAFE's PROFILE

Short version

CAFE – ‘Total Football – Total Access’

CAFE - Centre for Access to Football in Europe is a European charity which has been created to promote and ensure equal access across UEFA's region. CAFE is providing support, guidance and advice to all of our partners and stakeholders.  CAFE's aim is inclusivity and equality of experience.  And, because football embraces diversity in all its forms, CAFE will also work with the football family to raise disability awareness more widely throughout Europe.

Long version
CAFE – ‘Total Football – Total Access’
CAFE - Centre for Access to Football in Europe is a European charity which has been created to promote and ensure equal access across UEFA's region. CAFE is providing support, guidance and advice to all of our partners and stakeholders. These stakeholders include the EC (through CEN), UEFA as the governing body, national Football Associations and their leagues and member clubs, EURO partners, disabled supporters (of all disabilities), their advocates, carers and personal assistants, disabled supporter groups, other national and European diversity and supporter networks, disability Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and other interested organizations.

CAFE's aims are inclusivity and equality of experience, and because football embraces diversity in all its forms, CAFE is working with the football family to raise disability awareness more widely throughout Europe. Part of our mission is to empower disabled people to exercise their rights.

It's a big challenge, and people may wonder why this is important. There are more than 50 million disabled people living in the European Union alone - equivalent to the populations of Belgium, the Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary and the Netherlands combined. In other words, more than 10% of the population. One in four Europeans has a family member with a disability. Six Europeans out of ten know someone, in their close or more distant circles, who is a disabled person. People with reduced mobility represent more than 40% of the population.
 
You might find it shocking that 50% of all disabled people have never participated in leisure or sport activities. Moreover one third of the disabled population has never travelled abroad or even participated in day-excursions because of inaccessible venues and services

It is recognised that supporting football and attending live matches is an integral and vital part of European culture and tradition. Football supporters are increasingly diverse and are becoming more and more representative of the wider multicultural European society. This naturally includes many more disabled people who wish to attend football matches.
 
Importantly the local football community gains a greater understanding of diversity with football stadiums reflecting the wider and inclusive society that they serve. In addition, many football clubs and stadia provide activities and facilities outside of match days and are at the heart of local community life. It is also reasonable to expect an increasing number of disabled people to work within football and as such, clubs and stadia as employers should ensure an accessible working environment.
 
A barrier free environment is vital to ensuring an equal experience and opportunity for all disabled people. Without good access the basic human rights of disabled people are compromised or removed and their right to expression and freewill immediately becomes more restricted.
 
Disabled people have the right to enjoy football, sports and all forms of entertainment and social life in the same way as everyone else. By using the powerful voice of football CAFE wants to promote and implement those basic European values among European citizens and organizations.

Aims of CAFE

• To promote equal access to all European football stadiums and their clubs;
• To act as accessible stadia advisors and to recognise and share good practice wherever it exists (facilities and services);
• To increase disability and access awareness using the special influence of football;
• To establish a European network of local and national disabled football supporters groups as user-led self-advocates at a local level;
• To enable more disabled people to follow and get involved in football at all levels of the game

Note - 'Europe' refers to the 53 member Football Associations of UEFA which extend beyond geographical Europe and include countries further afield such as Israel and Kazakhstan. CAFE will be working across this larger geographical area.

Contact details
CAFE – Centre for Access to Football in Europe
E-mail info@cafefootball.eu
Website www.cafefootball.eu
Phone +44 (0) 20 3287 1619
Skype cafe-football
 Address PO Box 145, Flint, CH6 9DH, UK
 
Company No. 06953363 
Registered Charity No. 1131339