For football fan Kate Lindsay, Allianz Stadium’s $800 million new sheen swiftly dulled when she couldn’t enter the disabled toilets without support.
We were excited. At last, the day had come, and the new Allianz Stadium was finally finished at Moore Park. The sun was shining, and we decided to go to the Grand Opening Day. We had tickets to watch the Rabbitohs play in a semi-final in the upcoming weeks and wanted to have a good look around. We caught the ferry to Circular Quay and then the accessible light rail for the short trip to Moore Park.
I have multiple disabilities. Some are visible, some are invisible. I use a wheelchair when my pain prevents me from accessing the community. When I get tired, my pain is worse. I am on the NDIS, and one of my goals is to be able to go out more with my family. Pain, anxiety, and sensory issues have left me isolated, especially during COVID.
The old Sydney Football Stadium was inaccessible for me. There were limited toilets, and so many stairs. When the government decided to rebuild, it was controversial. However, I was hopeful that a brand-new stadium, built to current access standards, would allow me to return to being part of the fun at family sporting outings.
As we exited the light rail, music was playing and there was a buzz in the air. We crossed the grassed area to the stadium and saw the large bank of stairs. Luckily, there were two lifts around the corner. We had arrived!
Large, flat, open concourses with great views met us and we saw many disabled seating options we could book in the future. There were restaurants and private boxes and we enjoyed dreaming of watching a game from one with catering and champagne.
Soon, I needed to use the toilets, so I made my excuses and headed off. There were many large disabled bathrooms, however none had been built with accessible electric doors.
I was shocked. I’m used to having access problems, but this is a newly-opened public stadium that the builder claims on its website is accessible to a diverse range of people, including those of different ages, backgrounds, gender, and mobility. Accessible toilets usually have an electric button system with a sliding door. I had to return to our group and ask my husband to come with me to open the toilet door.
Image: Kate Lindsay and her husband, Ross, attending Vivid in Sydney
By this time, my pain had increased, and we needed to get home quickly. We asked staff where the pickup location for Ubers and taxis was located. There wasn’t one. There were clearways and blocked streets everywhere. We had hit another problem. My daughter was called, and she drove across the city to collect us.
That was our first encounter with the new stadium, but I wasn’t ready to give up.
Many phone calls later, I found that, unless you’re a member of the ground, there is very limited accessible parking. And arranging to be picked up when leaving an event with thousands of people is virtually impossible.
When it rains, the open-grassed parking becomes a muddy bog unsuitable for wheels. I made sure that the stadium management was aware of what this lack of accommodation meant for disabled people and asked that better provisions be made.
My pain and mental health are disabling enough. However, no one really sees the invisible disabilities. Sometimes I look disabled and other times I don’t fit the image.
I will park in an accessible space to limit the distances I need to walk. However, I’m questioned or frowned upon as I don’t always look the way society thinks a ‘disabled person’ should. On the more challenging days, when I’m in my wheelchair, people walk into me or shove my chair. Many won’t look at me or speak to me, only those with me.
Living with multiple disabilities requires me to overcome barriers mentally and physically. I will continue to speak up and ask for inclusion, especially in public spaces.
Hireup contacted Allianz Stadium for a response to this article. Phil Heads, Group General Manager of Communications, Heritage and Community at Venues NSW, gave this response:
The new Allianz Stadium is among the most accessible major sporting venues in Australia and, while it’s a vastly upgraded experience for all patrons, we are continuing to learn and make improvements.
We’ve reviewed and improved the accessible parking, with drop-off and pick-up located in the nearby car park and in the closest possible spots on nearby roads.
In future, parking will be improved in the Moore Park precinct as construction begins of an underground multi-storey car park for members and patrons. When complete in early 2025, it will offer 1500 spaces, as well as a new public plaza that will provide level access to the precinct from Moore Park Road.
Allianz Stadium was constructed to meet or surpass the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act, the Building Code of Australia and the ‘Green Guide’, the internationally accepted benchmark for stadium design.
There are 40 accessible bathrooms in the venue, some are standalone compliant unisex facilities, while there are also ambulant cubicles in larger bathroom areas. All accessible bathrooms have clear signage and are located in all public areas of the venue. Our customer service staff are trained to direct patrons to the nearest suitable facility.
In the new stadium, there are more than 400 accessible seats, available at all ticket category levels. This compares to 28 accessible seats in the former venue, all of which were located outdoor and in the same general admission ticket category.
Kate Lindsay
Kate lives in Sydney with her husband Ross, her adult children Andrew and Scarlet, and her two dogs Scooby and Teddy. A proud disability advocate, Kate has a genetic condition that causes pain and is managed through multiple surgeries each year. She identifies as neurodivergent and also lives with depression and PTSD.