Hadley Disabled Sports Association: Development Plan 2007/08...
forming partnerships...
improving facilities...
creating opportunities...
We have recently submitted a planning application to the Local Planning Authority to improve our facilities. This is the key part of our Development Plan 2007/08 and it will make our site fully accessable to all people with disabilities, in line with the Disability Discrimination Act.
We plan to:
- add a ramp to the front entrance of our clubhouse
- extend our current car park to include designated disabled parking bays
- add a concrete walkway around the main football pitch for spectators who are wheelchair users
Alongside accessable facilities, we have two main aims that we will be able to achieve if our facilities are improved:
1. We aim to add floodlights (with restricted usage) to the main football pitch to become a Coaching Centre for Disability Football, in line with the FA's Disability Football Development Strategy. We will hold evening coaching sessions and friendly matches, initially catering for players with hearing impairments and learning disabilities. A player pathway will be put in place, with the first level of this pathway being the chance to play football for fun and exercise. Some players will work their way through the pathway to maximise their potential. They will be given the opportunity to integrate into a mainstream football club and possibly even national disability squads.
It is not just players with disabilities that will benefit from our new facilities. A small spectator stand will enable us to cater for disabled spectators as well. Low incomes, higher living costs and restricted employment opportunities often combine to make watching professional football a very expensive hobby for people with disabilities. This is where football at a grass roots level has a huge responsibility, but if facilities are not accessible, what chance is there to enjoy the national game? Many of the people who take part in some of our indoor activities have shown a keen interest to watch the activities that take place outside. We want all of these outdoor activities to be easily accessed by everyone, in all weather conditions.
2. Alongside our Disability Football project, we also aim to increase our indoor sporting and exercise activities for disabled people. Building a new changing room block will increase the space inside our existing clubhouse so that we can become a Gym and Fitness Centre with specialised equipment and facilities for people with disabilities. This will enable us to apply for the Inclusive Fitness Mark, and as an accredited IFI facility we will operate around the following key principles:
- Accessible facilities.
- Inclusive fitness equipment.
- Staff with appropriate training and skills.
- Appropriate, inclusive marketing strategies.
- The development of alternative inclusive sporting opportunities.
Achieving the IFI Mark, which was only launched in 2006, will enable Hadley Disabled Sports Association to benefit from clear guidance and support from specialists in the field of inclusion and fitness.
Increasing the size of our main club room will also enable us to cater for more people in our existing exercise classes, such as our Fitability exercise class for people with Multiple Sclerosis. We are currently limited as to how many participants can exercise at any one time.
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