"Hi folks I thought it would be a good idea to produce this update so that you know what has been happening as I have been on holiday and with other trust activities I have been unable to come down and talk to you.
A few weeks ago I was contacted by Dave Hannan, who used to work for MENCAP (attached to Carmarthenshire county council) for those of you who have the internet, he has a weekly article called Dave's Rave's and has written a number of articles on disabled issues. Because of his experience I have recruited him to help us have a better understanding of the problems that disabled fans have that may not be apparent to others.
Dave and I arranged to meet one afternoon down at the vetch to look at ways of improving the facilities, as a result of this visit I wrote a report and have handed it to the new management board detailing the problems and putting forward ideas and recommendations
They were
1/ Remove and level the first three rows of the centre/wing stand to allow wheelchairs to be positioned with room for helpers ECT to sit alongside
2/Build a ramp with the minimum gradient for easy access
3/ Partition off part of the first aid room and install a disable toilet with hot and cold running water and central heating (already installed in the first aid room) this would mean that any disabled fan needing to use the toilet would only have to go 10-15 feet away from there position in the stand.
Of course this will take money and because of financial situation at the club I have not looked to the club to pay for this. There may be funding available but with us hopefully moving to the Morfa next year this may prove difficult to raise.Dave and myself have looked at other ways, one being a "challenge Brian" to get local D.I.Y and Builders to donate the materials and a workforce to complete the renovations, this is still a options but until we get the O.K from the club we can't start this. If any of you have any ideas or know any builders who may want to help let Dave or myself know.
I have also had a look at the parking situation (Terry Baker brought it to our attention) because some fans have great difficulties parking especially at night games, this problem I must admit is going to be difficult to resolve because of limited parking spaces around the ground. There is also a problem, as we do not know how many disabled orange badge holders there are, but I will continue to look at the problem.
Again let me know who these people are so we can try to resolve these issues.
As most of you know the supporter's trust arranged a fans forum last Wednesday and both Dave and myself raised the issue regarding disabled facilities. Both Dave and myself were disappointed to hear that the management board have not met yet to discuss these issues or my report, But I can assure you that at this forum I made them fully aware that it would be a big mistake to ignore the disabled fans and urged them to discuss this matter and to approve my plan.
It was stated at the forum that the club would play at the Morfa by September 2003. You may not be aware but another trust board member, Richard Lillicrap who is going to see the council this week to arrange a meeting so we can look at what facilities there are already at the morfa, has set up a morfa disability sub committee. Richard is hoping to persuade the council to have one of us involved, both Dave and I have joined this committee and I believe that Richard is looking for a couple more to join .Anyone interested?
Dave and I have had a number of discussions and one of the things that we both agreed on was the lack of information regarding disabled fans.Dave has suggested that we could compile a type of database so that we know as much as possible about you as a group.
We need to find out how many disabled fans we have and how many have stopped coming to the games or can't attend because of the facilities (or the lack of them) the more information we have the better picture, as what we want to do , not just for the fans that do come to games but those who have stopped or can't come.
The season is just about over, but we will still be trying to get things improved down at the vetch. We need information we need to be in contact with as many disabled fans as possible, so please send us your ideas& problems. We would like to know who are you? What is your disability? Do you want to join Dave and me in improving the facilities? Do you know of any disabled fans that have stopped coming or want to come to the vetch but can't due to a lack of facilities? If we can show the management board that there are disabled fans staying away because of the lack of facilities then they just might pull there fingers out and take notice of us. Also we can have further updates or a regular newsletter, which can be handed out at games or sent to your homes.
I would also like to hear from any visually impaired supporters, so if need be we could have news letters in brail and set up a system to provide a live commentary of the game so those fans who have sight difficulties can feel the atmosphere .The more information we have to work on the better.
To get in touch with me either ring the trust telephone number 07977382328or alternatively you can Email me on jacksup47@hotmail.com
Or write to Mr BRIAN REES c/o Swansea city supporter trust 57a ST. Helens road Swansea
Finally, my thanks to you and of course Dave Hannan for all the help he has given me over the last few months and we look forward to seeing you in the centre stand next season."
GET IN TOUCH AND TOGETHER WE CAN DO IT!Regards
Brian Rees
Swansea Supporter Trust
Community Liaison Officer
Dave's Rave's Summary
The only thing I would like to elaborate on a bit more is the Data base that Brian talked about, it was thought that this data base could not only help to collect numbers but could be used to assist when we move to the morfa (maybe to assist in the allocation of parking spaces for fans with mobility problems?) Any way it's great to see someone who really wants to make a difference and is so enthusiastic, cheers Brian.
Dave H | 
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.