Swindon Advertiser Weekly Article - 25th September

Activities like watching the football on a Saturday and enjoying live music are two activities that many people take for granted, myself included. This is unsurprising as these are simple pleasures that should be open to everybody. Disabled people included.

In my Ministerial role I have made it a priority to ensure that simple activities are made wholly accessible to people with a disability. It shouldn’t be the case that people are excluded from a hobby that they enjoy, but sadly in some circumstances this is still the case.

This is why I was proud to launch the Government's report on stadia accessibility, highlighting the frustrations of disabled sports fans across the UK as they often find themselves unable to sit with their children or alongside fellow supporters when attending football matches. The survey behind the report, launched in December 2014, called for fans to share their views on everything from wheelchair access and disabled parking to accessible toilets, to hearing loops and treatment by other supporters. It highlights the mixed experiences of disabled fans viewing a wide range of live sport at stadiums and sports grounds across Britain.

Consequently the government is now calling on clubs to take urgent action to provide appropriate support and space for disabled spectators, and I was glad to hear that the Swindon Town Supporters Trust is making disability access an urgent priority at the County Ground when I met them earlier this month. I am also delighted that our pressure has already led to the Premier League pledging to make all grounds accessible by 2017. This is a strong start but there is still more to do.

On a similar subject, I paid a visit to the Highworth Community Centre to see the fantastic work being done by local charity Music Alive, which aims to improve access to music (whether playing or listening) for disabled people. The group meet every Tuesday and Thursday to play music using the excellent equipment that the charity has collected since its establishment in 2002. I was able to meet with regular members who explained how the charity has supported them in achieving more independence and fulfilment in their everyday lives.

Ultimately, whether it be music or sports, nobody should be excluded from doing something that they enjoy.

On a final note, I wanted to wish the best of luck to all of the people across Swindon who are putting on a Macmillan coffee morning today. I think last year I set a record as I visited seven separate ones during the course of the morning! This meant far too much tea and cake but I was delighted to support such a great cause which is helping people across the country to fight cancer and ensure they don’t face it alone.