Brandywell stadium matchday experience may become accessible to visually impaired people

Derry City and Strabane Council will meet with Derry City FC representatives to discuss plans to provide a better match day experience for the visually impaired.

Council officers will meet with RNIB, Derry City Football Club, elected members, and any other relevant stakeholders to discuss and plan the adaptations at the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium.

The motion was passed unanimously at the Full Council Meeting on Wednesday 13 December.

Aisling Hutton proposed the motion and said the idea was brought to her attention by Rory McCartney of the RNIB.

She said it would be the first practical step towards making the city visually aware.

“We got chatting about the Ryan McBride Brandywell Stadium and the vision that they had to make that more visually aware by creating an area in one of the stands that would be friendly to people with visual impairments,” the Sinn Féin councillor said.

“It's not so much that you would have better vision of the pitch, you would have headphones that you could wear so that you're getting visually aware commentary to help you recognise what is going on and how the match is progressing.

“I know that the new stand is going to be built in the very near future. So we thought that this was the right time to bring it up because there's no point in the stand being built and then bringing it up and it being too late.”

She added that accessibility is crucial in the city and district where around 4,500 people are registered as having a visual impairment.

“Sport is a massive part of people's lives. It's a massive part of family life. So it's important for us to allow accessible services and inclusive environments for young people to go and enjoy sports.”

She said the facility is already available at Windsor Park.

Last year the council passed a motion to become a visually aware city but to this point it has not taken any practical steps to do so.

Alderman Hussey Hussey welcomed the proposal and said he would like to see it brought in at other stadiums.

“I would trust that Institute will also be involved in that as a club that uses the Brandywell,” the UUP alderman said.

“I'm also minded that there are other stadia throughout our council area where that sort of assistance via council may be welcomed. Perhaps that's something that others could be engaged in as to what they could do in their particular stadia across the district.”

He did not propose an amendment. Cllr Hutton reassured Ald Hussey all other relevant stakeholders would be taken into consideration.