FEI launches Accessibility Guide for Event Organisers

The FEI has announced the launch of a new Guide, designed to assist Event Organisers with improving accessibility for athletes, staff and spectators with disabilities, ensuring that everyone can enjoy equestrian events regardless of their disability and mobility levels.

This Guide, which is the result of consultation and collaboration with accessibility experts, individuals with disabilities and professionals in the equestrian industry, covers venue layout, accommodation and transportation among other areas of Event planning and delivery.

FEI Accessibility Handbook for Event Organisers

The aim is to provide Event Organisers with a set of guidelines and recommendations which eliminate barriers that prevent people with disabilities from fully participating or working in sports.

“Equestrian sport has the power to create inclusive structures that allow access to all individuals, regardless of their physical abilities,” FEI Secretary General and President of the Association for Paralympic Sports Organisations (APSO) Sabrina Ibáñez said.

“Changing perspectives towards disability is a key step in the accessibility journey. It is our belief that making even small changes to our working methods and organisational practices will help to move the needle on the conversation around disability inclusion, equality and equity.

“While this is primarily a Guide for Event Organisers, we, the staff at the International Federation Headquarters in Lausanne (SUI), have also had to take a good look at our internal practices and procedures to see where we can eliminate barriers to entry for people with disabilities and how we can provide a more inclusive physical and organisational environment.

“We hope that by working with Organisers to embed accessibility into all strands of Event planning and delivery, this type of thinking will start to permeate our organisational structures and become a seamless part of what we all do in this sport on a daily basis.”

The FEI Accessibility Guide for Event Organisers is available for download here.

Photo credit: FEI/Liz Gregg

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Editor notes
The FEI was one of the first international sports governing bodies to govern and regulate global para sport alongside its able-bodied disciplines when Para Dressage joined its ranks in 2006. The Para Equestrian Committee was created in 2006 when the governance of Para Equestrian passed from the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to the FEI.

Over the years, there has been more integration of Para Equestrian sport into the FEI Governance and World Championship structures, which has raised the profile of Para Sport alongside the FEI’s other disciplines.

At the 2020 FEI General Assembly, the Chair of the FEI Para Equestrian Committee became a voting member on the FEI Board, ensuring that Para Sports has a place at the top table’s discussions alongside able-bodied disciplines.

Other governance related initiatives included in the FEI’s host bidding requirements, require world and continental championships for para athletes and able-bodied athletes to be held at the same venue.

The FEI Solidarity and Para Dressage Departments have worked together to create the FEI Para Dressage World Challenge series, a development programme in place since 1 January 2023. The Series aims to give athletes, who are unable to participate in international events due to financial or geographical reasons, the opportunity to compete in events in their own country. These competitions are in place to help National Federations develop Para Dressage, and close the gap between National and first level international competitions.

While these top-down initiatives have been important to the development of Para Equestrian within the FEI’s structures, it has also had a positive impact on the general attitudes towards disability and inclusion within the equestrian community more generally.

The FEI’s online Para Sport magazine – The Para Equestrian Digest – launched in February 2022 was created for Para Equestrian athletes and the people connected to the sport so they can share – in their own words – their personal experiences and disability stories. The Digest puts the spotlight on an athlete or project in Para Equestrian sport with the aim of increasing visibility for the sport and improving disability awareness and inclusion.