Life with a stoma often involves planning ahead, especially for those days when you’re away from home for long periods. How confident are you when going to a gig?

Does the venue itself have a bearing on whether you’ll attend, even if it means missing your favourite band or game? Wembley Stadium in London and OVO Hydro in Glasgow share insight into their provision for people with stomas and other hidden disabilities.

Wembley Stadium, London

Wembley Stadium urges all customers who might require specialist help or assistance, to contact their customer engagement team on 0800 093 0824. Staff are fully trained in disability awareness and have undertaken specific training to support all guests. 

Paul Collins, Communications Manager at Wembley, said: “Wembley Stadium is committed to providing an inclusive experience for all disabled guests, regardless of whether their disability is visible or non-visible.” 

Accessibility at Wembley Stadium

• Wembley Stadium recently spent more than 100k investing in two additional Changing Places toilets. These are larger toilet areas with more space and equipment, including a height adjustable changing bench, a peninsular toilet and a celling hoist. 

• The stadium now has three Changing Places toilets in the stadium. By increasing the number of Changing Place facilities across the stadium, the venue is now more accessible to spectators requiring these facilities and will reduce the waiting time. 

• 147 accessible toilets across all levels of the Stadium all accessible via RADAR key. If a customer does not have a RADAR key, they can speak to one of the venue team who will be able to assist. 

• For events with a high female/male ratio, Wembley convert the toilets to ensure a larger available number of female toilets. 

• Wembley encourages all guests with access requirements to call their customer services team beforehand. The team will be able to understand their exact needs and provide the best advice to ensure their experience is an enjoyable one. 

• Wembley employs a specialist customer engagement team of between 80 -100 staff at every event to assist guests, including a specialist team with wheelchairs to assist guests with poor mobility to enter the Stadium. 

• Wembley Stadium is committed to ensuring the experiences offered can be enjoyed by as many people as possible. They have a dedicated audio descriptive commentary service for blind and partially sighted guests, along with BSL services for those with hearing difficulties. 

Please visit Wembley Stadium’s website for more information about additional access services.  

OVO Hydro, Glasgow 

In Scotland, customers visiting the 14,300-capacity OVO Hydro can expect close attention to detail in accessibility standards, and according to their website ‘are consistently ranked by Pollstar in the top 10 arenas globally, alongside iconic venues like Madison Square Garden and The O2’. 

OVO Hydro, which is 11 years old in 2024, is part of SEC (Scottish Event Campus) and owned and operated by Scottish Event Campus Limited.  

An OVO Hydro spokesperson said: “We support the Sunflower lanyard scheme at events held at SEC and, as part of our commitment to supporting visitors with hidden disabilities, we provide information about the sunflower lanyard scheme on our website.  

Throughout the year, the OVO Hydro team works closely with the charity Attitude is Everything who improve disabled people’s access to events by working in partnership with audiences, artists, and the event industry to implement a Charter of Best Practice in the UK.  

The SEC currently holds a Gold Award, and is ‘committed to continually improving our venues with the aim of achieving our newly introduced platinum-level live events access charter.’ It also works very closely with AccessAble, a UK leading provider of accessibility information. 

Ways to ensure a positive visit to OVO Hydro  

Although staff are provided with disability awareness training, OVO recommends that visitors with specific accessibility needs or requirements contact them in advance of attending an event by emailing [email protected]. This allows visitors to tailor their experience and ensure staff are fully briefed on specific needs ahead of their visit.  

Additionally, OVO’s pre-event email links directly to dedicated accessibility information. For live events, the venue offers dedicated accessible entrances for faster entry and essential services such as accessible toilets and their Changing Places toilet. 

Specific to customers with stomas or other sensitive medical requirements, advance contact will also enable staff carrying out entry security checks to have prior knowledge of individuals’ specific needs, allowing them to ensure the customer’s search process remains discreet.  

The spokesperson added: “We pride ourselves in our commitment to making the venue accessible to all and believe that our current strategies serve to foster inclusivity and create a positive experience for all our event attendees.” 

Please visit the accessibility pages of OVO Hydro’s website for more information.  

 

IA’s quick tips for event-goers with a stoma

• Check the venue’s website for the latest information.

• Consider carefully whether you would be prepared to buy a ticket in a non-disabled part of the venue if accessible tickets were sold out – could you cope with difficult fellow audience members who may not always be empathetic or understand your situation? 

• If in doubt, call the accessibility team ahead of the event. If not in doubt, call anyway – some venues, like Wembley Stadium, actively encourage contact from disabled visitors to help ease any anxieties.

• Know the layout before arrival – nearest toilets, food & drink stations and exits.

• Wear a Hidden Disabilities sunflower lanyard at the venue. 

• Prepare for all eventualities: weather, queues, leaks – and dress/pack appropriately. 

• Stay hydrated. 

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