Blind footballer raises awareness about disability

A blind footballer from West Sussex said there are "pretty clear steps" that can be taken to make the world more accessible for disabled people.

Toby Addison, 22, spoke to BBC South East during UK Disability History Month (UKDHM), an initiative to raise awareness of the history of disabled people.

The content creator from Chichester uses his platform and experiences to educate and spread awareness about disability.

He said: "I don't need to be treated any differently, I just need some minor adaptations that make my day go a little bit easier."

This year the theme of UKDHM, which runs from 14 November to 20 December, is disability livelihood and employment.

Mr Addison, known as 'blindtobes' on social media, has been a self-employed content creator for three years.

He documents his blind football journey online and said he hopes one day he will compete in the Paralympics and World Cup.

The social media star previously worked in gyms but said full-time jobs were always a struggle due to the lack of accessibility and training for staff.

He said the issues were around "the general interaction with disabled people, and awareness around disability in everyday environments".

UKDHM coordinator Richard Rieser agreed and said "employers' attitudes are the key thing" in integrating disabled people into workplaces.

He said training is "crucial" and has to come from the "right perspective".

He said: "How disabled they are depends on how many barriers there are around them, and what conscious effort is made to change those barriers."

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