AC Milan have announced a new initiative that will see children of all different backgrounds given the opportunity to be mascots on matchdays.
A statement on the club’s official website talks about how Milan ahve ‘always sought to bring to bear the values that form the club’s DNA’ and they are working ‘tirelessly day in and day out in order to be more inclusive and cater to the needs of all of its supporters’.
For that reason, Milan have ‘enriched in the name of inclusivity’ by raising the inclusivity regarding the mascots that welcome the men’s first team players on the pitch before every home game.
The experience is also available to children with disabilities or those that have problems with their home lives, be that with their family or society as a whole, towards whom Milan and Fondazione Milan have always aimed their social projects.
This initiative falls under the auspices of the “AC Milan for All” programme, promoted by the club to guarantee inclusivity and accessibility for all fans to its physical and digital spaces. In terms of the stadium experience, Milan reserve about 300 tickets for each home game that go to fans with disabilities and their carers, as well as to associations that are dedicated to easing disabilities and tackling social hardships.
The club have also set up a sector of the ground at pitch level for its blind and visually impaired fans, with an audio-description service provided by Radio Rossonera journalists that can be enjoyed directly from the seat at San Siro or in the comfort of your own home.
The initiatives related to inclusivity are not limited to just the field of play. Each week, Stefano Pioli’s press conferences are translated live into Italian Sign Language to ensure that Milan’s deaf fans have full access to the pressers.
Private and third-sector associations, with whom AC Milan collaborates, are then involved in various types of activities, such as visits to the Mondo Milan Museum and the Milanello Sports Centre, as well as initiatives organised on the occasion of National and International Days.
The club’s involvement in social initiatives and projects falls under AC Milan’s wider RespAct Manifesto for social equity, equality and inclusivity.
