One reason for padel’s explosion in popularity is its reputation as an accessible sport. Unfortunately, many UK padel venues do not reflect this, with facilities that do not give disabled players equal access to the game’s many benefits.
The Padel Paper spoke to Richard Hobden, co-founder of The Padel Architects, and Andrew Simister, a GB Adaptive Padel Player, for some expert advice on how padel clubs can make their environments genuinely inclusive for all players.
- Arrival at the club
Clubs need to think about their user journey, which starts with arrival at the venue.
Firstly, by law, there must be disabled parking spaces close to the main entrance (recommended 5-6% of total parking capacity). The surface of the parking area should be suitable for wheelchairs (i.e. avoiding stones or gravel). General access to the front door must be level, as required by the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA).
- Reception
Ideally, the club reception area (if it has one) should have varying levels of counter, perhaps at 700-800mm from floor level. This will allow the customer, if they’re a wheelchair user, to maintain eye contact with the person talking to them behind the reception desk.
- Changing rooms and showers
Changing rooms should have ambulant changing facilities, or an independent disabled shower that allows disabled players to maintain a sense of dignity when preparing to go on to court or after a match.
Level access is also a pre-requisite for a disabled bathroom or changing room. Clubs should provide this as standard.
- Courts
Access ways to courts should be suitably sized, with LTA guidance advising two metres between courts.
The player access gaps at either side of the court should be wide enough for a sports wheelchair to fit through, without the player having to dismantle the chair.
International Padel Federation (FIP) regulations state that all enclosures allow for a clear access of 1.2m for sports wheelchairs, but the same set of rules only requires a minimum of 0.72m wide where there are two openings per side (i.e. either side of the net), which would be far too small for a sports wheelchair.
The UK does not yet have laws relating to wheelchair access to padel courts, but the onus is on clubs to set standards for inclusivity and accessibility to all of its customers.
Some courts have hinged gates at each side of the net to widen the gap for wheelchair users, but the bolts to open those gates are sometimes at standing height. A number of padel court suppliers, including Hexa, Padel Alba and Ingode are already providing standard solutions for this.
This kind of issue shows that although the intent is there, the practicalities of accessibility are often unanticipated.
- Apres-padel
In the club’s bar or lounge area, there should be a sense of equality in terms of places to sit and mingle with all other padel players, regardless of their ability.
If the club has a mezzanine level (see pic above) which offers unique viewing across courts and/or support facilities, then there is a case to argue that, within the regulations, a lift should be installed on day one.
For full inclusivity, it is good practice to offer all customers equal access to every part of the club. It’s important to give disabled players a sense of equality and not make them feel like they’re treated as second-class citizens.
Padel is a sport for everyone with community at its heart. This core value is something for operators to remember as the UK’s padel infrastructure continues to grow exponentially.
