Andrew Simister (left), who co-organised the Inclusive Padel Tour’s inaugural event in the UK earlier this month, tells The Padel Paper that many of Britain’s padel clubs do not uphold the sport’s claims of inclusivity.
Padel is often described as one of the most inclusive sports in the world. But as a disabled player, I’ve come to realise that while the game itself is accessible, many of the UK’s clubs are not.
In 2022, after a road traffic accident, I had my right leg amputated. A few months later, my son and a close friend introduced me to play padel. The enclosed court felt easier to navigate, and I quickly fell in love with the sport.
By January 2024, I joined the Inclusive Padel Tour — a group of disabled players who travel the world competing alongside able-bodied partners.
This September, the UK hosted its first Inclusive Padel Tour event at Padel Maidenhead. The club was a perfect example of how to do things right: fully accessible, welcoming and inclusive. Sadly, not every venue tells the same story.
Under the Equality Act 2010, sports clubs must provide equal access. Yet too many fall short. I’ve seen accessible toilets with steps to get in, facilities left broken for months, and clubs that dismiss complaints with polite smiles instead of real solutions.
At one club in North Yorkshire, when I asked if they had an accessible toilet, I was told: “No, but it’s something we are looking at for the future.” For wheelchair users, that answer isn’t just inconvenient; it’s demeaning.
Even worse, when I contacted London clubs last year about hosting the Inclusive Padel Tour, one venue emailed me with the following:
“The problem is that some of our courts are very close together, with narrow space between them, so a wheelchair will not go through. In addition, we need to check if the gates can be removed to allow access as well.
“We also have only one toilet with disabled access, suitable only for one person and the showers do not have disabled access set up. So I am not sure we can actually provide the level of access and support wheelchair users will need for a good experience”.
That’s not just a barrier — it’s outright discrimination.
Sometimes, the barriers are more subtle. A club I played at had accessible courts and toilets, but the social area was upstairs with no lift. That meant while others enjoyed drinks and watched matches together, disabled players were left out.
Accessibility isn’t just about facilities — it’s about inclusion in every part of the experience.
What frustrates me most is that these barriers are avoidable. If a club provides toilets, showers and social spaces for able-bodied players, it should provide the same for disabled players. Not just because the law demands it, but because it’s a matter of dignity and fairness.
Padel has the potential to lead the way in inclusivity. The sport itself welcomes everyone, but the infrastructure in the UK still needs to catch up.
My hope is that more clubs will follow the example of places like Padel Maidenhead, ensuring that disabled players are not an afterthought, but an equal part of the community.
If padel is truly to be the world’s most inclusive sport, then every club in the UK must take accessibility seriously — not tomorrow, not “sometime in the future,” but now.
Disabled players don’t want to be treated any differently, we just want the same…
