The Foundation’s provision for people with disabilities currently provides regular, competitive football for boys and girls from the age of six right through to adulthood.
Our Ability Counts teams train weekly in the Academy Building at Villa Park and play matches against teams from across Birmingham and the UK. In addition, the FA People’s Cup also offers an excellent chance to play against teams from all over the country.
However, Ability Counts is about more than producing winning teams, and the programme was founded in order to create opportunities for participation.
We put the emphasis on having fun, making new friends and building confidence, while also highlighting the importance of regular physical activity.
Inclusive Holiday Courses have been a popular addition to our existing offer, providing days packed with football skills and matches for ages 7-16 across dates in the school holidays.
Our Disability team have also been working hard in local schools to encourage understanding of disabilities via the delivery of Diversity Days.
A Birmingham City Council project, Foundation coaches deliver activities in mainstream schools that provide pupils with a chance to experience wheelchair sports among other games.
The Foundation also launched disability specific teams in 2019, across blind football, partially sighted football and cerebral palsy alongside a girls only disability offer. We also formally support Villa Rockets, our Powerchair Football team.
We work closely with many inclusive organisations across the city, including Sport Birmingham, Activity Alliance, Birmingham County FA Disability Lead and more to support and enhance our delivery.
In 2019 we saw the launch of our club sensory rooms, which will be utilised on match-days and nonmatchdays throughout the season. The facilities provide a range of equipment for people with autism spectrum disorder and learning difficulties and are available on non-matchdays for groups to come along and experience the rooms on a quiet day with a fantastic view of the pitch and stadium. If you would like more information about the sensory rooms, would like a visit or to book in a group for non-match days, please contact foundation@avfc.co.uk or call 0121 327 2299.
