“I wanted to make live football games more inclusive for fans with special needs,” says Notts County supporter Laura Cameron.
The 46-year-old, who has followed the Magpies for the past two years, is behind new sensory packs distributed to fans at games.
The packs are intended to make watching live football more accessible to persons with special needs.
They include headphones, fidget toys, photographs, and symbols, and the club has praised the move as a significant step toward making it more accessible to disabled spectators.
Miss Cameron, secretary of the Notts County Disabled Supporters Association, stated that the packs were distributed for the first time at Meadow Lane during last Saturday’s game against Bromley.
They will now be available at all home games.
Miss Cameron stated that she decided what was included in the packets based on her personal experiences, which included working as a special needs teacher.
She stated: “Live situations can be quite overwhelming for those with special needs due to the noise, lights, and high number of people.
“In these packages, the headphones will mute loud sounds for persons who become overstimulated, and image symbols are frequently [used] to assist people who struggle with communication.
“Families might leave these things at home and forget about them, and by having these here, they no longer need to worry.”
The club now has sensory rooms, but they are located in the executive box area, which Miss Cameron explained can be difficult for those with mobility issues to access.
She went further: “We know the difference that football makes to disabled fans – everyone wants to escape for 90 minutes, and we want this to help them enjoy the game as much as anyone else should.”
Dennis was among the first enthusiasts to use the packets.
Dennis’s father, Wayne, stated, “The noise is a major concern for Dennis.”
“When someone scores a goal, the sheer volume makes it difficult for him to celebrate openly with everyone else since it is so loud.
“But with these headphones, the sounds are much softer and will not deter him.
“We got plenty of thumbs up from him, and we could tell he enjoyed the celebrations much more this time.”
A representative for Notts County Football Club stated: “We have worked hard to make Notts County more accessible to our disabled supporters.”
“This is another great step forward alongside our disabled supporters association, who have been incredible in assisting with projects, to make this happen.”
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