Accommodating accessibility is often an afterthought in the planning of a sport event. But the Organising Committee of the FEI Dressage and Para Dressage European Championships here in Riesenbeck (GER) have ensured that everyone in attendance has an opportunity to participate fully in all aspects of the Championships, regardless of their disability.

Photo – Paralympian and former Para Dressage World Champion from Denmark Stinna Tange has assisted the Organising Committee in Riesenbeck with their accessibility planning in the lead up to the Championships. Stinna is pictured above with the Event Manager for the Organising Committee Verena Gravemeier, who has played a front and centre role in Riesenbeck’s accessibility journey. (FEI/Liz Gregg)

In order to create a welcoming environment for all, accessibility considerations have been included in all aspects of the organisation of this week-long event which will host athletes, staff and spectators with different disabilities and mobility requirements.

Based on the learnings and good practices of the FEI World Championships in Herning (DEN) and Pratoni (ITA) in 2022, the Championships in Riesenbeck are the first to be organised in line with the requirements set out in the FEI Accessibility Handbook for Event Organisers

Relevant links:

Para Equestrian Digest: Ferdinando Acerbi
FEI launches Accessibility Guide for Event Organisers

Denmarks’s Stinna Tange (Photo: FEI/Liz Gregg)

This handbook, which is the result of consultation and collaboration with accessibility experts, individuals with disabilities and professionals in the equestrian industry, covers venue layout, accommodation and transportation among other areas of Event planning and delivery.

It is an advancement that has made Paralympian and Denmark’s former Para Dressage World Champion Stinna Tange extremely happy.

“The level of consideration and the attention given to accessibility and inclusion here in Riesenbeck has impressed me greatly,” said Stinna who has assisted the Organising Committee with their accessibility planning and is also the FEI Para Dressage sports reporter for the Championships.

“As a wheelchair user, it has been an absolute pleasure to be able to move around the venue as freely as any abled bodied person, and this should be the goal of accessibility of any and all equestrian events, regardless of the discipline.

“The FEI Handbook has been thoroughly studied and implemented by the Organisers here in Riesenbeck and I applaud the level of consideration and the seriousness with which the organisers have approached the job of assuring accessibility and inclusion at the venue.

“Tools like this that result in a more inclusive event site are important to ensuring that wheelchair users like myself feel included and part of the action.”

Extensive Outreach

Denmarks’s Stinna Tange and Event Manager for the Organising Committee Verena Gravemeier (Photo: FEI/Liz Gregg)

In preparation for the Championships, the Organising Committee carried out an extensive outreach process where they contacted individual national federations to understand the specific accommodation requirements of their athletes.

“We wanted to create an Event where everyone feels welcome and comfortable regardless of whether they are a participant or a spectator,” said the Event Manager for the Organising Committee, Verena Gravemeier who has played a front and centre role in Riesenbeck’s accessibility journey.

“But sometimes it is difficult to know where to start and how to effectively address all the different types of disabilities. Moreover, as an able-bodied person, it can be hard to understand, or even see, the barriers that a person in a wheelchair can experience, for example. And even if you do see the problem, the solution may not always be obvious.

“So, we were fortunate to have Stinna’s assistance in the lead up to the Championships and together we worked to enhance all areas of our operations and we are extremely pleased with the feedback we’ve been receiving. Bringing Stinna into the planning process earlier rather than later, allowed us to resolve many issues before the Championships started, and in many areas the solutions were simple enough to implement.

“Once you start thinking about accessibility in terms of your end result, it is just a matter of time before you find yourself anticipating the various disability needs and requirements that need to be implemented in the Event planning process. We hope that our experiences here will help to build on the guidelines already provided in the handbook, which Organisers of future equestrian Events can also put into practice.”

North Rhine-Westphalia’s State Secretary for Sport and Volunteerism Andrea Milz summed it up well when she said, “If you are attending the FEI Para Dressage European Championship here in Riesenbeck you will see why this beautiful facility has been praised by the athletes, trainers and all visitors.

“The excellent venue construction and organisation should become a blueprint for future events, and we hope that other organisers will continue to treat Dressage and Para Dressage equally in all matters of operations. This way athletes with disabilities will also have the same opportunities as their able-bodied colleagues to take part in more top equestrian events.”