Exploring the Role of Technology for Accessible Stadium Experiences for People with Limited Mobility

Abstract

Attending public sports events is a popular leisure activity that has yet to become more accessible for people with limited mobility. In our work, we address the role that technology, and especially, digital ticketing infrastructures play in the individual preparation for attending football matches and the experiences that disabled fans have at football stadia. Building on autoethnographic work on attending large public events with a disability, we report findings from semi-structured interviews with people with limited mobility (N=12). We apply Reflexive Thematic Analysis to craft four main themes, (1) showcasing the importance of familiarity with the processes, (2) illustrating the (in)voluntary separation of disabled and non-disabled people in current (ticketing) infrastructures, (3) highlighting social contacts as key contributor but dependency on other people also as obstruction of accessibility, and (4) contextualising the role of interactive seat plans for ticketing. Building upon these findings, we contribute an account on the experiences of people with limited mobility and the examination of current and prospective technology for this purpose with a focus on ticketing and seat plans, thereby also appraising previous findings from autoethnography.