At the AccessibAll Global Summit 2024 in Madrid, we took a bold step forward in our mission to continue to make football genuinely inclusive.

The Summit spotlighted the launch of a transformative initiative designed to connect, elevate, and empower disabled voices in sport: the Access Academy, developed through our ongoing Access Captains group.

 

Access Captains: Elevating Lived Experience

The Access Captains initiative champions a simple but powerful belief: that accessibility is most effective when led by those with direct experience.

At the recent UEFA Respect Forum in Zürich, AccessibAll Access Captain Simon Scheidegger shared his story — a compelling reminder of why this work matters. Through Simon and others, we are seeing growing leadership, visibility, and meaningful participation from disabled individuals across football’s ecosystem — from stadium operations to boardroom decisions.

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Access Academy: Knowledge That Drives Change

A key theme from the Summit was the increasing demand for scalable learning, practical tools, and shared insights. In response, we are launching the AccessibAll Access Academy — a digital learning platform designed to drive inclusive progress across clubs, stadiums, and governing bodies.

The Access Academy offers:

• Free public launch video to begin your accessibility journey
• Interactive sessions powered by generative AI in multiple languages
• AccessibAll Certification to demonstrate knowledge and commitment
• Flexible, inclusive learning from anywhere in the world

The goal is to shift accessibility from theory to everyday action — by giving people the tools and confidence to lead inclusively.

Find out more about the Access Academy on YouTube.

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Progress in Practice: Impact Report 2024–2025

Our newly released Impact Report reveals a movement in motion:

• Access Captains roles in voicing accessibility and inclusivity
• Enhanced representation and matchday experiences
• Measurable change driven by community-led leadership

This is about more than representation — it is about transformation.

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Looking Ahead: Scaling Our Mission

As the AccessibAll network grows, so does our responsibility to deepen its reach. The Access Academy is central to this evolution, with more resources, more stories, and more learning opportunities on the horizon.

This is just the beginning. We are building a global force for inclusion, one that ensures everyone has a place in the game — on and off the pitch. Stay tuned, and follow our social media channels to see the first video!

Published 30/6/2025