A place For Everyone
Our strategy
We want everyone to be able to enjoy football, concerts and special events at Johan Cruijff ArenA. Because a stadium is more than just a building: it’s a place for experiences, emotions and connection.
In a full stadium, everyone has their own story, their own challenges and their own way of experiencing things. Some come on crutches, others in wheelchairs. Some have poor or no vision, others have difficulty with crowds and stimuli. We believe that this diversity enriches our stadium.
We know that we need to take steps in this direction. The biggest challenge is to ensure that we are accessible to a diverse audience without compromising the safety of all visitors and our own people.
“As the largest stadium in the Netherlands, we take our responsibility for accessibility seriously. We view people with disabilities as our consultants. Together with them, we will be working on concrete improvements in the coming years to ensure that everyone is welcome in our stadium.”
Hidde Salverda
Chief Operating Officer
Johan Cruijff ArenA
Getting started
To better fulfill our ambition to be a place for everyone, Johan Cruijff ArenA will be committed to improving the following forms of accessibility in the coming years:
Physical accessibility
From the car park to the seat, the journey must run smoothly. We have 136 specially reserved wheelchair spaces directly behind the north goal and above the first ring north and south. There are lifts at main entrance E and goal entrances B and H, and escalators for other visitors.
Digital accessibility
Our website, apps and digital services must be usable by everyone. From e-tickets to navigation with the interactive wayfinding app WizzyMaps – technology should connect, not exclude.
Audio/visual accessibility
For the visually impaired, Ajax offers live audio description during football matches via ajax.nl/audio, available without delay from anywhere in the stadium. This summer, we conducted a trial during concerts. For the hearing impaired, we are working on better sound facilities and visual support.
Encouraging sensory friendliness
A stadium with so many people can be overwhelming. We are working with experts from Stichting Onbeperkt Genieten to investigate how we can make our events more sensory-friendly. For example, with clear information and quieter zones for those who need them.
Social
milestones
An accessible stadium is our dream. These milestones lay the foundation on which our team can continue to build.
2021
WonderboysZ at work
The WonderboysZ are young people with intellectual or physical disabilities who, under the supervision of cleaning company CSU, clean up the stands and remove stickers. Together with our partner CSU, we offer opportunities to young people with disabilities, combining work and fun.
2024
Knowledge is king
De Kleine Consultant conducted a study for us about how we can improve accessibility. They also gathered lessons and ideas from the sector.
2024
Social Capital introduces tour hosts
In collaboration with recruitment agency Social Capital, the ArenA has hired new colleagues with occupational disabilities as hosts for the ArenA Tours. We aim to fill other positions in this way in the future, so that we can help more people move from the sidelines to a paid job in the heart of society.
2025
A dot on the horizon
Together with ArenA colleagues from various departments, we are setting the course for how we want to make the ArenA more accessible in the coming years.
2025
More stimulus-friendly events
Stichting Onbeperkt Genieten is assessing whether and how we can make our events more stimulus-friendly. Because a stadium with 55,000 people is impressive, but it can also be quite exciting or confusing for people with higher sensitivity issues.
“Bij de afdeling Tours vinden wij het erg belangrijk dat iedereen een kans krijgt om bij ons te kunnen werken. Door de samenwerking met Social Capital bieden wij mensen met een afstand tot de arbeidsmarkt een kans om zichzelf verder te ontwikkelen én waardevol te zijn voor ons bedrijf. Ik vind het persoonlijk erg mooi om te zien hoe de werknemers van Social Capital zich profileren binnen ons team en onderdeel zijn geworden van ons prachtige stadion.”
Martijn Maurice
Manager Tours
Johan Cruijff ArenA
in
practice
spotlight
ArenA tests live audio commentary
Live commentary during Robbie Williams concerts
Step by step, we are building a future-proof stadium. This project shows how we want to make the ArenA accessible to everyone, with smart innovations and good teamwork.
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CHALLENGE
Wheelchair-accessible ArenA
Changing with the times
We have big ambitions when it comes to inclusivity, and we know that good intentions alone are not enough. That is why we take a strategic approach to challenges and remain critical about what works and what does not.
read more
The next phase
Building a fully accessible stadium is not something you can do in one go – it takes years of commitment. We are taking a systematic approach: first, we map out different customer journeys and their pain points. We then test these with the target groups themselves – wheelchair users, visually impaired people, people with hearing impairments. This allows us to discover what really needs to be improved.
In the 2025/2026 season, we will start with the customer journey of wheelchair users who attend a football match. Our ultimate goal is a stadium where everyone can enjoy themselves together, regardless of their physical abilities.
“In addition to our collaboration in cleaning services, Johan Cruijff ArenA and CSU also work together on our sustainability goals. Social initiatives are a good example of this, such as our collaboration with the Wonderboyz, a day care organisation for young people with disabilities. By working at Johan Cruijff ArenA, they feel proud and part of society.”
Gert Koffeman
Director of the North-West Business Unit
CSU
Lees meer
Next page
A stage for talent
A place for everyone starts with opportunities for everyone. Discover how we nurture talent – on the pitch, behind the scenes and in the community.
ArenA tests live audio
commentary
At Ajax matches, fans don't just hear the cheers when Kenneth Taylor scores – they see his celebration, the crowd's reaction, the players' emotions. The same goes for concerts: Robbie Williams' iconic moves, his dazzling outfits, the spectacular light shows. But for blind and visually impaired visitors, these visual moments are lost. That is about to change.
Live commentary during Robbie Williams concerts
This summer, we tested live audio description during both Robbie Williams shows. Through a collaboration with Mycrocast and Zessen Media, fans received real-time commentary directly through their headsets – with descriptions of everything from Robbie's costume changes to his interaction with the audience.
We focused on what you can't hear: the visual spectacle that makes ArenA events unforgettable. We invited 12 people with visual impairments to a concert and asked them to test the service and share their feedback.
Strong results, valuable lessons
Nine of our twelve test participants called it a game-changer for their concert experience. In addition to the guests we had specially invited to test this service, more than 50 other guests also tried it, with 60% listening for more than 70 minutes.
The feedback was clear: knowing what is happening on stage transforms the entire experience. We learned that describing the action during a thunderous concert is very different from commentating on a football match. The constant sound levels demand perfect timing and crystal-clear audio quality.
Everyone deserves the ArenA feeling
Our test participants gave us honest, useful feedback. Now we know what works and what can be improved. We will use this input during the upcoming concert summer of 2026.
This pilot confirms our belief: every fan who enters the ArenA should be able to fully experience the magic of live events. Whether it's Ajax in the Champions League or world-class artists such as Robbie Williams – everyone deserves to be part of the show.
This pilot confirms our belief
every fan who enters the ArenA should be able to fully experience the magic of live events.
“Thanks to the audio description, I got much more out of the concert than I normally would. Where I would normally only hear the music and feel the audience a little, I now got much more information: what Robbie was wearing, what he was doing, what was on stage, what was on the screens, what the audience was doing. I loved being able to form a picture in my mind. For the first time, I was able to really talk about what happened after a concert. Not just 'He sang well'.”
Wheelchair-accessible
ArenA
Changing with the times
Johan Cruijff ArenA opened its doors in 1996 as one of the most modern stadiums in the world. Almost thirty years later, we are facing a new challenge: how do we make an existing stadium fully accessible to people in wheelchairs? Because what was state-of-the-art at the time no longer always meets today's accessibility standards.
We have 136 special wheelchair spaces, lifts to all levels and adapted parking spaces. But that is not enough. There are still parts of our stadium that are not optimally accessible, routes that are cumbersome, and facilities that could be improved.
The complexity of an existing stadium
Building a stadium from the ground up with full accessibility? That's a challenge in itself. Adapting an existing stadium? That's a whole different ball game. Fixed structures, limited space and existing routes call for smart, creative solutions – and often substantial investments.
We are committed to what is possible and focus on improving accessibility within designated areas so that wheelchair users can move around independently and comfortably.
Mapping out the customer journey together
The first step is to map out the entire customer journey for wheelchair users. From arriving at the car park to finding a seat, from toilet facilities to leaving the stadium – every movement is relevant. We don't do this from behind a desk, but together with the people for whom it really matters. Ajax has previously conducted a survey in which more than 70 wheelchair users provided feedback on the challenges they experience in and around the stadium. Their input is a valuable starting point for us.
What we already know
- Signage could be clearer, especially for lifts and accessible routes
- Some passageways are just too narrow for comfortable passage
- Waiting times at lifts can be long during peak hours
- Not all catering outlets are equally accessible
- It is not always possible to find a good parking space
A step-by-step approach
We can now get to work based on these insights and the pain points that have emerged from them. We will validate the customer journey with visitors who use wheelchairs, because their experience and insights are indispensable for coming up with meaningful solutions. They advise us – not the other way around. We will then prioritise improvements and get to work on implementation.
“When organising accessibility in an existing stadium, you have to constantly balance what is desirable with what is feasible. Everyone deserves a great experience at the ArenA, but we can't change everything at once. That's why we opt for strategic improvements that have the greatest impact.”
Leigh van Galen-Tjon
Events Coordinator
Johan Cruijff ArenA