Professional sports teams have largely moved to accommodate the needs of fans with sensory issues, but many venues still fall short when it comes to addressing a range of other needs for fans living with conditions known as invisible or nonapparent disabilities, according to a nationwide ESPN survey.
Tens of millions of Americans live with conditions that are not immediately apparent but significantly impact their daily lives, including autism, brain injuries, autoimmune diseases, chronic pain, mental health conditions, and loss of hearing and vision.
Invisible disabilities are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act, a 1990 law that prohibits discrimination and requires stadiums, arenas and other venues to provide accommodations. But those efforts largely focus on physical accessibility features such as wheelchairs, ramps and elevators.
"People think, 'Hey, let's just do the minimum, we have X number of wheelchair seats, that's good enough,'" said Sherri Privitera, senior principal and senior architect at Populous, which designs sports venues.
Advocates for people with invisible disabilities say they would like to see teams offer accommodations such as better drop-off zones and special entrances for fans with disabilities, elevator access for fans who need it, and even measures as simple as printed menus at hot dog stands and better education for stadium employees.
Simple awareness is a big issue.
For example, Pittsburgh Steelers fan Mikey Dedmon said her systemic lupus isn't obvious to most people and that causes her problems at stadiums. She struggles to take the stairs but has been stopped from using elevators and told by stadium personnel that they were reserved for people with disabilities.
ESPN canvassed 136 teams in the NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB and NHL from November 2023 to July 2024 on whether they offer accommodations that fans with invisible disabilities say would make their game-day experience better.
Of the 136 teams, 120 responded. In the NFL, the Broncos, Texans, Patriots, Cardinals and Bengals did not answer questions. In MLB, the Brewers, Pirates, Mariners and Cubs did not answer. In the NBA, the Timberwolves declined to answer and the Clippers responded before their move to the Intuit Dome. In the WNBA, the Lynx declined to answer. In the NHL, the Panthers, Sabres, Jets and Senators did not answer. (The Utah Hockey Club was omitted because of the team's impending move to Salt Lake City.) Some teams did not answer every question in the survey.
For fans, challenges can begin when they arrive at a venue, and they suggested dedicated entrances for fans with disabilities. Less than half of the 120 teams that responded -- 56% of NFL teams, 56% of NHL teams, 45% of NBA teams, 45% of WNBA teams and 24% of MLB teams -- said they offer such entrances. Some said they offer a dedicated lane at the main gate or at all gates. Teams were recorded as not offering dedicated entrances if they responded that all entrances are accessible or ADA compliant or that they offer mobility assistance or designated drop-off sites.
Dedmon, the fan who has been prevented from using elevators, said she would like to be able to register for games online and be given a badge to wear so she doesn't have to explain herself to staff. Of the 115 teams that responded to a question on whether they offer such badges, 42% said they do. Among the leagues: 56% of NFL teams said they do, along with 46% in MLB, 46% in the NHL, 28% in the NBA and 27% in the WNBA.
Sensory accessibility nonprofit KultureCity, which provides disability identification badges for its partners, gave ESPN a higher number of badge-issuing venues and said teams don't always know what venues offer.
Several fans said buying concessions can be especially difficult. Standing in long lines can feel overwhelming for those with autism, while those with low vision and hearing loss can struggle to access and use menus. Rick Morin, a Boston Red Sox fan with low vision, said the shift toward digital kiosks has made ordering impossible for him. He can't magnify the screen, and no speech output exists for him to hear the options.
"Those kiosks are totally inaccessible to us," he said.
Amy Gomme, a deaf fan in New Mexico, said she wished stadiums had more printed menus so she could point to a specific item. Just under a third of teams that responded to ESPN said they provide printed menus at concession stands: 45% in the WNBA, 36% in MLB, 34% in the NBA, 28% in the NHL and 21% in the NFL. In some cases, paper menus are available but fans must ask for them. Teams that said menus are available only at guest services offices, in-house restaurants or sports bars were counted as "nos" in the survey.
Climate Pledge Arena, home to the Seattle Kraken and Seattle Storm, told ESPN it has reduced or eliminated paper waste -- including physical menus -- to be more environmentally friendly.
Changing technology also has affected the experience of blind fans who listen to games. While almost all teams said they offer headphones or assisted-listening devices -- 100% of NBA teams, 88% NHL, 85% NFL, 82% WNBA and 72% MLB -- fans told ESPN about broadcast lags or delays.
"Late '90s, early 2000s, I could go to a football game and I could bring a transistor radio and I could put my headphones on and the radio would be in sync," said Chad Allen, a Boston sports fan who is blind. "But since streaming, everything's on delay."
One area where teams have made significant progress is giving neurodivergent fans a quiet place. In 2017, Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena became the first sensory-inclusive arena in the U.S. Now, all 29 NBA teams that responded to ESPN said they have or are building sensory areas/rooms, along with 85% of NHL teams, 81% of NFL teams, 72% of MLB teams and 64% of WNBA teams.
Eric DiMiceli, NBA vice president of social responsibility, described increased inclusivity as "an important topic for the league." He said the NBA and WNBA are constantly looking to improve and ensure teams take invisible disabilities into account when designing the fan experience.
"We want to make sure that our game is the most accessible and global game there can be," he said.
DiMiceli said the league reacted to direct feedback from fans, including at the 2024 NBA All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, where it handed out sensory bags with objects like noise-canceling headphones or fidget tools.
"Some fans have said to us, 'I was uncomfortable taking my child or family member to a sporting event ... because I didn't know what to expect,'" DiMiceli said. "'But having a space or receiving the kit allowed me to know that I have a safe space to go in case my child or my family member had an issue.'"
Many teams work with KultureCity to build such rooms. DiMiceli said the ability to convert different types of spaces helped more teams embrace the concept.
"It's not cookie-cutter," he said. "I think that's what made it easier for teams to adapt to this because, at the onset, it could seem daunting."
MLB officials did not respond to requests for comment, and an NHL spokesperson declined comment. An NFL spokesperson told ESPN in a statement that the league is "committed to providing all fans -- including those with disabilities -- a high-quality, welcoming experience. We work diligently to offer the accommodations and access that allows everyone to fully enjoy the game they love."
Privitera, the stadium architect, said that change has been slow but that teams have become more willing to embrace inclusivity in the past few years, in part because topics like mental health have become less stigmatized.
Almost every fan interviewed by ESPN highlighted a need to increase communication about invisible disabilities to educate stadium workers and fans. Jennifer Fink, a Washington, D.C., sports fan with sensory issues and anxiety, said more people with disabilities would go to games if they knew about available accommodations.
"A lot of individuals I know with disabilities don't even consider [sporting events] as options. But if they knew that these accommodations existed, they may consider it," she said. "I would potentially buy season tickets."
Gomme said teams should provide accommodations not just to help fans but for their own bottom line.
"These leagues, these teams are missing out on a new fan base, potential fans who would show up to games if the experience was inclusive enough," she said.
ESPN's Sam Borden and John Mastroberardino contributed to this report.
