Disability & Access

Why this matters

Activity Alliance’s 2025–26 Annual Disability and Activity Survey found that 52% of disabled respondents felt they had the opportunity to be as active as they wanted, compared with 74% of non-disabled respondents. Disabled respondents were also more likely to say they wanted to do more activity. This is UK-wide participation evidence, not a cue-sports or darts prevalence study.

Access is the whole sporting journey

Sport England’s Accessible and Inclusive Sports Facilities guidance treats accessibility as both design and operation. Its current guidance covers external approaches, internal areas, changing and toilets, wayfinding, emergency evacuation, consultation, and day-to-day management.

• Get here: transport, parking, drop-off, route and advance information.
• Get in: entrance, doors, thresholds and reception.
• Move around: circulation around tables, dart lanes, seating, counters and social areas.
• Take part: playing position, equipment, communication, scoring and reasonable adjustments.
• Use facilities: toilets, changing areas where provided, food/drink, seating and welfare space.
• Leave safely: emergency information and evacuation arrangements that include disabled people.

Reasonable adjustments and practical support

In Great Britain, the Equality Act 2010 reasonable-adjustment duty for services and relevant associations is anticipatory: organisations should consider likely barriers before an individual disabled person arrives. The current 2026 statutory Code describes adjustments to practices, physical features and auxiliary aids. Northern Ireland uses a separate Disability Discrimination Act framework, and Equality Commission NI guidance should be used for services there.

This Centre is not providing individual legal advice. Whether a specific adjustment is legally required depends on the facts and jurisdiction. Our practical standard is simpler: ask what helps, consider the actual barrier, make workable changes where appropriate, and do not invent restrictions.

Ask about access — not somebody’s whole medical history

A participant may be able to explain what helps without giving a detailed diagnosis. If Eights and Arrows records disability or health information, that can be special-category personal data and needs an appropriate purpose, lawful basis/condition and proportionate handling. Data minimisation means collecting only what is adequate, relevant and necessary.

Cue sports and darts

For cue sports and darts, practical access can include sufficient circulation around a table or throwing area, reachable seating, accessible scoring or match information, lighting and visual contrast, space for mobility aids, usable toilets, clear match calls, and event layouts that do not turn an accessible venue into an inaccessible competition space.

We have not identified robust evidence showing that disabled women in cue sports or darts share one set of needs or one participation experience. The Centre therefore avoids sport-specific prevalence claims and uses a participant-led approach.

Offer help — do not take over

• Speak to the participant rather than automatically speaking to a companion.
• Ask before moving a wheelchair, walking aid, cue case or other personal equipment.
• Ask before providing physical assistance unless immediate safety requires action.
• Do not assume that needing an adjustment means needing lower sporting expectations.
• Review the adjustment with the participant if circumstances, venue or competition format changes.

Safety without blanket exclusion

Safety concerns should be specific and evidence-based. The Great Britain statutory Code gives an example of a wheelchair user being refused entry because of a general fire-safety assumption and explains that the actual means of escape must be considered. In sport, “health and safety” should not be used as a substitute for identifying the real risk and considering reasonable ways to manage it.

Girls and young people

Girls may need accessible information, safeguarding, transport planning, suitable toilets and appropriate communication with parents or carers. Ordinary participation support should not become a route for collecting unnecessary diagnoses or medical records. Any child safeguarding concern must follow the organisation’s safeguarding process rather than an ordinary feedback route.

Access beyond playing

Inclusion should extend to volunteering, officiating, coaching, training and leadership. Activity Alliance’s current survey also reports that disabled people are less likely to feel they belong in sport and activity settings and less likely to see people like themselves volunteering, coaching or working in the sector.

Companion resources

Evidence and source notes

Important boundaries