Football Victoria has marked World Autism Understanding Month with a series of practical inclusion initiatives delivered in partnership with Aspect, reinforcing the governing body’s commitment to making football accessible for autistic participants across all levels of the game.
The partnership, now in its second year, has moved beyond awareness into structural change. Environmental assessments have been completed across multiple programs and match days, including at Collingwood City FC and the All-Abilities League match day at Northcote City FC. Each assessment identifies accessibility barriers and provides concrete inclusion principles integrated into the physical and operational realities of football environments.
Ahead of the 2025 Football For All Gala Day, Aspect conducted an environmental assessment of The Home of the Matildas, informing the development of a Visual Story designed to help participants with autism understand the venue and event before arriving. The same approach has been applied to FV’s GO Camps program, giving participants and families the information they need to engage with confidence.
Aspect has also delivered multiple education sessions for coaches throughout the partnership, with a dedicated session for referees held on April 20, the first of its kind, extending autism understanding across match officials and into all parts of the game day experience.
Football Victoria has also joined the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Initiative, with training and education to be rolled out across the organisation in the coming months, strengthening its capacity to recognise and support participants with non-visible disabilities.
The initiatives reflect a recognition that access to sport is not guaranteed by an open registration form. For many participants with autism and their families, the barriers are environmental, informational and social; and removing them requires sustained investment in education, assessment and design.
