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Make soccer accessible in your community

By Staff, 04/10/18, 3:45PM EDT

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This Achieving Accessibility Guide can help clubs and academies understand AODA requirements

Play. Inspire. Unite. 

Accessible Soccer is the beautiful game, for all. Ontario Soccer believes that the intention of any accessible and inclusive soccer program should focus on providing an opportunity for players in their own community to discover soccer, develop skills, and build friendships as part of a team.

This Guide will assist Soccer Clubs in generating awareness about Accessible Soccer as well as assist all Soccer Clubs and District Associations to meet the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act requirements outlined under Section 7 under the AODA Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) by 2025.

The necessity for accessible soccer is growing at an exponential rate and Ontario Soccer is up for the challenge. Accessible Soccer programs now exist in over 20 Clubs across Ontario and this guide will assist your Club to start its own accessible programs including:

  • Simple steps for any club to start an accessible program
  • Accessible on-feld practices
  • Training Match Offcials, Coaches, Staff, and Volunteers on Accessibility
  • Accessible equipment
  • Resources
  • Off-feld policies compliance with AODA

In 2005, the Government of Ontario passed the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Its goal is to make Ontario accessible by 2025, by creating and enforcing accessibility standards. These standards are rules that businesses and organizations in Ontario must follow to identify, remove and prevent barriers so that people with disabilities will have more opportunities to participate in everyday life.

Click here to view and download the Achieving Accessibility Guide.