Albion staff at the Amex learn to guide fans with sight loss

Staff and volunteers at Brighton & Hove Albion^2,3 have been trained by the charity Guide Dogs to guide supporters with sight loss around the American Express Stadium. Albion is the first club in the South East to complete the training.

The charity ran the session at the Amex. Members of the club’s “Here to Help” accessibility team took part, along with reception and security staff and volunteers from the Seagulls Disabled Supporters Association (DSA). They learnt the techniques and the language for guiding home and away fans, then paired up in eye masks and took turns guiding each other around stairs, stands and to seats.

The training also covers the legal access rights of guide dog owners.

“Football should be for everyone, so it’s fantastic to see Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. taking proactive steps to ensure supporters with sight loss can attend and enjoy games,” said Nicola Schwarz, Sighted Guide Training Officer at Guide Dogs.

Katie Haines, the club’s Disability Liaison Officer, said the training “equips our team with the practical skills and confidence to better support our visually impaired supporters.”

Bryan Martin, chair of Seagulls DSA, said: “The sessions on how to guide and be guided around the Stadium gave us a better understanding of the issues facing fans on match days.”

On a match day

The accessibility team works inside the stadium and wears bright pink hi-vis jackets with “here to help” printed on the back. The general “Here to Help” staff are outside the turnstiles. One team member told the club her work can include helping a supporter with a visual impairment find their seat and connect to the audio-descriptive commentary.

Commentary receivers come from the ticket office, window one, which is set aside for disabled supporters. The ticket office is in the North Stand. Trained assistance dogs are welcome, but the club asks you to tell Supporter Services in advance and read its assistance dogs policy before you go.

A Certificate of Visual Impairment is one of the documents the club accepts for a complimentary personal assistant ticket.

Guide Dogs also offers sighted guide training to community groups, businesses, and friends and family of people with sight loss, at guidedogs.org.uk/how-you-can-help/sighted-guide-training.