Destiny visits The Vale for UK Disability History Month

Destiny Udogie visited a session of the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation’s ‘Sports Leaders’ programme for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities at The Vale School, Tottenham, during UK Disability History Month (UKDHM).

Running from 16 November-16 December, UKDHM highlights the barriers to disabled people that have previously existed in society and how we can ensure those barriers no longer exist moving into the future.

The Vale is a special school located opposite Tottenham Hotspur Stadium that has worked in partnership with our Foundation on a range of programmes for over 15 years.

It provides meaningful learning experiences for children with medical, cognitive and physical needs, aged 11-16, based within the setting of a mainstream secondary school, Duke’s Aldridge Academy.

‘Sports Leaders’ is the latest Foundation programme to be delivered at The Vale, enabling students to participate in sporting activity while equipping them with fundamental leadership skills to be able to deliver sessions themselves - creating a first step on the pathway to employment post-education.

Destiny visited a session that was designed by the students, focusing on football-based movement, ball handling and reaction.

The Italian international said: “It's really important to put on these sessions - it’s great to see the students happy to be playing sports and learning how to coach.”

Tony Millard, Deputy Head, The Vale School, said: “It’s been amazing to see the students so engaged in this session - it’s a day they will remember for a long, long time.

“Our work with the Club and the Foundation, as a school so local to the stadium, is absolutely vital in enriching the lives of our students and preparing them for later life.”

The Club is fully committed to, supportive of and determined to meet the highest standards of best practice in relation to meeting the diversity and inclusion needs of staff, our fans, visitors and all involved with the club.

In addition to a wide range of community outreach programmes, the Club has created one of the world’s most accessible stadiums, with facilities including:

• dedicated accessible entrances equipped with audio commentary headsets, wheelchairs, headphones, induction loops and even dog bowls
• over 250 wheelchair accessible bays and over 500 dedicated easily accessible seats at all levels
• 66 accessible toilets and three changing places across the campus
• A Sensory Suite is located in the North Stand, offering a comfortable and calming environment for supporters on the autistic spectrum
• Two dog spending areas are available for assistance animals
• Our Visitor Attractions are also accessible, with Wheelchair Skywalks and British Sign Language (BSL) Stadium Tours

For more on access at Tottenham Hotspur, visit: https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/the-stadium/accessibility/accessibility/

The Tottenham Hotspur Foundation is supported by the Premier League and Professional Footballer’s Association. Administered through the Premier League Charitable Fund, the funding helps football clubs to tackle inequality and respond to local challenges, supporting people and their communities to be more inclusive.