Stadium Design Research

Would you like to participate in research to explore stadium design  and the facilities needed  to enable independent wheelchair access to sporting events?

What represents meaningful provision for wheelchair users in English football stadia?
JEANETTE DODD, Doctoral Researcher, SURFACE Inclusive Design Research Group
School of the Built Environment (SOBE), University of Salford.

Jeanette Dodd, who has FSH MD, is recruiting for participants in her Ph.D research at the University of Salford. If you use a wheelchair to attend, or try to attend, live events at football stadia, are aged 16 or over and would be like to take part, then please contact her at the email address below.

The aim of her PhD. research is to examine what represents meaningful provision for wheelchair users in English football stadia, identifying features that can act as barriers to limit accessibility, or which can enhance accessibility and promote inclusion. The objectives are to:

1. Appraise how society views disability and how society is including and excluding wheelchair users;
2. Assess the design process, the legislation, the underpinning regulations, the guidance and how this meets the needs of wheelchair users;
3. Explore the accessibility of spectator sports and appraise the design guidance for stadia that can facilitate access to it;
4. Investigate the everyday user experience when attending, or trying to attend football stadia;
5. Understand how provision at football stadia is determined in practice;
6. Provide a critical synthesis of the extent to which the needs of wheelchair users are being met; Recommend the changes and improvements that need to be made so that wheelchair users are better accommodated in football stadia.

Jeanette will interview you to capture the everyday experiences of disabled supporters who are wheelchair users. If you have attended, or tried to attend, a live event at a football stadia as a wheelchair user, Jeanette would be interested in hearing from you. 

The NeuroMuscular Centre has kindly offered the use of a private room for the interviews, which should take between 30-45 minutes. Participation is entirely voluntary, although interviewees receive a small ‘thank you for taking part’ gift and travel expenses are paid at 45p per mile. All participants will remain anonymous. Data collected will be kept strictly confidential and will be related to your code number rather than your personal details.  If you are interested in taking part, then please get in touch. 

CONTACT DETAILS: * Email:  j.dodd3@edu.salford.ac.uk
*        Jeanette Dodd, SURFACE Inclusive Design Research Group, Room 423, 
          Maxwell Building, University of Salford, The Crescent, Salford M5 4WT