A DISABILITY charity says it is “deeply troubling” that inaccessibility continues to prevent disabled people from attending sports events.

Level Playing Field’s fifth annual fan survey, which outlines data from 2,151 responses, found 22.5 per cent identified “inaccessible public transport” as a barrier and 20 per cent cited being “unable to travel to stadiums” – a 0.5 per cent increase for both.

The barrier to attending live sport which saw the highest increase was  “no access to a companion/personal assistant ticket” – up from 13 per cent to 16 per cent.

The charity’s chair Tony Taylor said: “At Level Playing Field, we recognise the importance of live sports for an unparalleled ability to bring communities together.

“It is therefore deeply troubling that so many of the key findings from this year’s survey results point towards inaccessibility causing isolation in society.

“This gives us some key areas to work on, and we encourage service providers and supporters to join us in those efforts.”

The survey revealed there had been “significant signs of improvements elsewhere,” however, with the number of respondents listing “difficulty purchasing tickets” as a barrier seeing the largest decrease.

The number of respondents that reported there were sporting venues they felt unable to attend due to inaccessibility within the stadia dropped to a record low of 21 per cent.

The rise in percentage of fans citing disability abuse as a barrier, which last year was at the highest level (8.5 per cent), had been halted and the figure was down to 6.5 per cent.

But the report said “a broader concern of ‘attitudes of others’ remains clear … with a 2 per cent increase ensuring it remains the second most common barrier overall”.

Taylor added: “It is promising to see some areas of positive change where I know a lot of focus has been placed in recent years, including on ticketing, physical infrastructure and abuse, but it is vital that we remain vigilant in these areas.

“These survey responses come directly from disabled fans, and it is vital that they are acknowledged and acted upon.”

Level Playing Field added that specific breakdowns had been sent to all relevant clubs and governing bodies to give them “the opportunity to see localised trends and isolate areas highlighted by their own disabled fans.”