Accessibility in Sports

The importance of accessibility at sporting events in Tyrol has grown significantly and has already reached a good level. It’s now clear that without inclusion, almost nothing is possible—and that’s a good thing. Of course, there’s still room for improvement, but I think we’re on the right track. As event organizers, thinking about accessibility should by now be second nature and a given.

Tourism plays a very important role when it comes to accessibility. Since I travel a lot myself, I see that there’s still work to be done in many areas. I believe tourism encompasses everything. Because no matter what you do abroad, you’re a tourist and use infrastructure in all kinds of settings—whether you’re attending an event, staying at a hostel, visiting a public building, using public transportation, or dining at a restaurant. If a family includes a person with a disability (regardless of the nature of the disability) and a region lacks accessible facilities, the entire family is excluded—not just the person with the disability.

My influence at the state level is mainly limited to the sports sector. Here, I’m also part of the implementation team for the TAP—the Tyrolean Action Plan for implementing the EU Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. However, implementation here is only possible within the scope of available resources and responsibilities. Some measures have already been implemented, while others are still in progress; however, this process takes time due to a lack of resources. We are currently working very intensively on a survey of sports facilities in the municipalities. As part of this effort, data on accessibility is being collected and will subsequently be published.

In the EU alone, 24% to 27% of people over the age of 16 live with a disability. That’s between 90 and 100 million people. Worldwide, an estimated 1.4 billion people live with a disability. If there is an accessible sports strategy in place, more sports enthusiasts will come to the country. As mentioned earlier, this involves not only the group of people mentioned above, but very often their families and friends as well. This could multiply the impact, and consequently increase the value added in the region.

I can’t name any specific state that’s playing a pioneering role. However, I think that many countries are already quite a bit further along than we are. In many cases, it’s not an entire country, but increasingly regional areas. In the U.S., some states are very well positioned. For example, in Miami or California, free electric beach wheelchairs are often available, along with assistance and accessible public restrooms. Unlike in Austria, many U.S. states do not have such strict historic preservation laws for buildings, which in turn makes it easier to adapt and make major alterations to facades, provided the exterior appearance is not altered too drastically. Similar examples can also be found in Spain. When it comes to amusement parks, Europa-Park Rust in Germany is a notable example, where nearly all rides are accessible to wheelchair users, provided they can get on and off independently or with the help of a companion. In Norway, sports promotion falls under a single umbrella organization, so there is no distinction between able-bodied and para sports. The individual sports federations, the Olympic Committee, and the Paralympic Committee are all part of this umbrella organization. This is also reflected in practice. In sports stadiums, accessible seating is often located near an emergency exit, and accessible restrooms are also situated nearby. The system is thus much more thoughtfully designed.