Welcome to CAFE!

We are the Centre for Access to Football in Europe.
'Total Football - Total Access'

CAFE is supported by the UEFA and is working closely with its 53 associations to improve access in European football stadia.

1st CAFE European Conference

'Total Football - Total Access'

24-25 September 2011 at the Wembley Stadium in London.

We would like to remind you to register for the 1st CAFE European Conference, ‘Total Football, Total Access’.

The conference will see football dignitaries, stadium managers, architects, club representatives, disabled fans and non-disabled fans meet to discuss good practice solutions to ensure that European Football is accessible to all. If you would like to take part in CAFE’s two-day conference, please visit our website.

4th European Football Fans’ Congress in Copenhagen

CAFE recently took part in the 4th European Football Fans’ Congress hosted by Football Supporters Europe in Copenhagen from 1st-3rd July 2011, to help to raise awareness for the issues affecting disabled fans amongst the wider football supporters’ family. To read more about our participation in FSE Congress, please click here.

Getting ready for the UEFA Euro 2012

Ukrainian Vice Prime Minister - Minister of Social Policy Sergiy Tihipko held a meeting to discuss the rights of disabled people in the context of preparations to the final part of the UEFA EURO 2012 tournament. As an outcome of the meeting, it was decided to set up a working group to hold monthly meetings with representatives of NGOs for disabled people (including CAFE) to create a barrier-free environment. To read more about what is planned, please click here.

Level Playing Field Annual General Meeting

Representatives from Centre for Access to Football in Europe (CAFE) were among many attendees at the Level Playing Field (former NADS – National Assembly of Disabled Supporters) Annual General Meeting that was held at Westminster in the Houses of Parliament on 9th June 2011. All in all it was a very exciting and interesting day. The quality of the AGM reflected the greatness and quality of the place where the AGM was hosted. To read the full blog about the LPF AGM, click here. 

UK Never Watch Alone Initiative

You can watch a video about the UK Never Watch Alone Initiative. Level Playing Field (our UK partner) is a co-founder of the Wigan based project. With LPF and Wigan Learning Partnership Board originally dreaming up this great idea in response to the learning disabled clients own wishes. To watch the video, click here.

French disabled football fans travelled to Wembley 

On May 28, a group of 4 disabled fans and their companions travelled together to London. All real fans of football, it was a fantastic opportunity for them to watch a Champions League Final at Wembley.

To read more about their experiences, click here.   

Celtic Disabled Supporters Association Launch

The Celtic Disabled Supporters Association (CDSA) was successfully launched on Sunday 29th of May 2011. With almost 90 people attending it was a very successful first meeting. CDSA look forward to developing their own Association and working with others, especially with the Scottish Disabled Supporters Association. To read more about CDSA first meeting, click here. 

Red and Yellow Army on Wheels in Belgium

Keith Ferguson CAFE’s Western European Development Officer, met up with Wilfred de Leus (Club Co-coordinator) and Jonas Maris (KV Mechelen Assistant Community Manager) to find out more about the Red and Yellow Army on Wheels Disabled supporters Association whose members support KV Mechelen. To find out more, please click here. 

European Congress of Ex-Footballers

Recently, CAFE attended a European Congress of Ex-Footballers which was held in The Great Assembly Hall at the Royal Castle in Warsaw. CAFE’s Managing Director, Joyce Cook joined our colleagues from FARE (Football Against Racism in Europe), Piara Powar and Rafal Pankowski in addressing the Congress audience. To find out more, please click here.

Disability hate crimes

In out last Enewsletter we reported to you about an incident at Winterbourne care home in the UK. Sadly, we have recently been alerted about an alleged disability hate incident in Lodz, Poland. You can read more about this incident by clicking here.  

Job Vacancies at Level Playing Field

1. Development Administrator - The role will be based in Chester

2. Never Watch Alone Iniative Researcher - This is a one year part-time post based at home.

To view a copy of the job description and person specification of both positions, please click here.

NEWS IN BRIEF

1. UEFA recently appointed the first woman to its Executive Committee - The historic move came after the UEFA Congress agreed in March to co-opt a woman onto European football’s highest body. President Michel Platini, told the Paris Congress, “we must find a way to break the glass ceiling preventing women from reaching positions of responsibility within our organisations". To find out more, click here.

2. Never Again founder recently received distinction from the Polish President - On 4 June, the Polish Freedom Day, President Bronislaw Komorowski awarded a high-level state distinction, the Officer’s Cross of the Order Polonia Restituta, to Marcin Kornak, the founder and chairman of the anti-racist ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association and CAFE Ambassador. To read more about this news, click here.

3. 'My stomach is not calm until I see my wheelchair is safe'
 - Campaigners for better treatment of disabled people using air transport have said they will continue to fight for progress following what they deemed a disappointing meeting with EU transport commissioner Siim Kallas. To read more about this news, click here.

4. Senior lecturers from the University of Glasgow and IST-CNR, Italy are carrying out joint research on the accessibility and usability for disabled students of educational materials, including computer-based games. If you are a teacher, lecturer, tutor or educational expert, please help in this study by filling out this questionnare. You can also help if you are a disabled student or disabled person who has studied in the last two years or if you are a parent of disabled student. If so, please fill out this questionnare.

5. Student Study on Access to Air Travel - A student at Leeds University is currently writing a dissertation about one of the European Disability Forum’s top campaign subject - Disabled Air Passenger's Rights. To find out how to participate in the study, click here.

6. Vodafone Foundation launched its Smart Accessibility Awards - with a total prize fund of EUR200,000 to be split equally between four winners, the competition is open to apps written for Android 2.2 and above. If you are interested in this award, click here to find out more.

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