Welcoming People with Disability to Sport Venue Experiences

This chapter examines the nuanced nature of accessibility within sport venues, extending beyond spectator access to encompass employees, participants, volunteers, and other stakeholders. Employing a transformative service research framework, it investigates the comprehensive journey of people with disability, from the initial information search to the overall venue experience. The chapter begins with exploring the conceptual building blocks that can assist managers to improve the quality experience for people with disability. This includes: the experience economy; servicescapes; sensoryscape; and critical management perspectives of embodiment. The chapter then presents some examples of access and inclusion for those with mobility, vision, hearing, intellectual/cognitive, and neurodiversity, including the autism spectrum. The case studies are provided to illustrate some important elements of high-quality customer service and accessible design. Ultimately, the chapter presents managerial, organizational, and customer service strategies to create inclusive sport venue experiences that are co-designed with people with disability.