West Sussex footballer advocates for disability accessibility

A blind footballer from West Sussex has indicated that there are “pretty clear steps” available to enhance global accessibility for disabled individuals. Toby Addison, 22, shared his views with BBC South East during UK Disability History Month (UKDHM), an initiative aimed at raising awareness about the history of disabled people. The content creator, based in Chichester, utilizes his platform and personal experiences to educate and disseminate awareness concerning disability. He stated: “I don’t need to be treated any differently, I just need some minor adaptations that make my day go a little bit easier.” This year’s UKDHM theme, which runs from November 14 to December 20, is centered on disability livelihood and employment. Mr. Addison, known as ‘blindtobes’ on social media, has been working as a self-employed content creator for three years. He documents his blind football journey online and expressed his aspiration to compete in the Paralympics and World Cup someday. The social media personality previously worked in gyms but found full-time jobs consistently challenging due to inadequate accessibility and staff training. He explained that the issues pertained to “the general interaction with disabled people, and awareness around disability in everyday environments.” Richard Rieser, the UKDHM coordinator, agreed, stating that “employers’ attitudes are the key thing” for integrating disabled people into professional settings. He added that training is “crucial” and must stem from the “right perspective.” He said: “How disabled they are depends on how many barriers there are around them, and what conscious effort is made to change those barriers.”