Arsenal has become the first professional football club to achieve Disability Confident Leader status.
Disability Confident is a government scheme aimed to help businesses recruit and retain disabled people and people with health conditions.
With 17.5 per cent of working age people having a disability or long-term health condition, being proactive about recruiting, retaining and developing people with this wide range of experiences, talents and skills is crucial.
Arsenal received the formal accreditation by championing our Arsenal for Everyone campaign and recruiting the right people for the club.
Arsenal would like to thank independent assessors, Purple, for the support in achieving this accreditation and validating our Level 3 Leader status.
Sarah Newton, Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work, said, "It's only right that disabled people can go and cheer on their favourite football teams in the same way as their friends and family. The work Arsenal has done to ensure disabled people can access the sport, both as supporters and as employees, is really inspiring and I hope more Premier League clubs will follow their example and become Disability Confident Leaders.”
Arsenal Chief Executive Ivan Gazidis said: “We have to ensure we employ a diverse range of people across the club and we see this as a significant achievement and an important step in our on-going inclusion programme, Arsenal for Everyone.”
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