Finding Community, Raising Awareness:

For Lindsay Knott, Chairperson of the Nottingham Forest Disabled Supporters Association (DSA), football has become not only a passion but also a platform to raise awareness, improve accessibility, and help others living with hearing conditions such as Tinnitus and Hyperacusis.

Living with Tinnitus meant that Lindsay had to give up many things, including work and social activities. She stopped watching Nottingham Forest, whom she had supported since the 1970s. However, when she realised how important it was for her to be able to go but experiencing the obstacles many disbanded fans face in following their passion, she set about setting up a Disabled Supporters association – working with the football club, disabled fans and carers, as well as organisations such as Level Playing Field.

DSAs exist at clubs across the country, offering a community for disabled fans to connect, share experiences, and make the match day experience accessible for everyone.

For Lindsay, it’s about more than Tinnitus alone.

“I feel at home among other disabled people — we might have different conditions, but we share similar challenges. That relatability is what makes the DSA feel like family.”

The Nottingham Forest DSA is a voluntary group of fans with disabilities and carers, supporting works with fans with diverse disestablishes, visual and hidden, of all ages, and working with the football club and other organisations

Living with Tinnitus in the Stands

Lindsay’s Tinnitus began in 2014. She remembers the first time she heard the high-pitched sound in her flat — and how it never went away. A stressful move, three jobs, and a difficult winter made it worse. Over the years, it has only grown louder.

Today, she can hear it above 30,000 cheering football fans at Nottingham Forest games.

Tinnitus has contributed to and is impacted by a diagnosis of ME in 2024

Hyperacusis adds to the challenge, making certain sounds physically painful. Ear defenders and earplugs are essential — without them, she wouldn’t be able to attend matches.

At first, she even gave up her season ticket, something that left her devastated. But that moment sparked something new: the decision to create the Nottingham Forest DSA and make football more accessible for everyone.

Training for Understanding

We do this in a variety of ways: assisting individuals with specific issues, providing information, raising awareness and understanding amongst Forest Staff and fans, working together to find practical solutions, and organising social and other activities.

One Example of this is the Disability Awareness Training DSA does for the Club Welfare Team and staff. Each session is short, interactive, and tailored to help them understand the realities of different conditions — including Tinnitus.

The training covers:

• Understanding the impact of visible and invisible disabilities
• Asking the right questions without making assumptions
• Supporting fans on match day

Changing perceptions of Tinnitus

Lindsay is aware that all too often, Tinnitus is not acknowledged or included in the publications and activities of organisations, and of the importance of raising its profile, developing understanding of what it is and the impact on people’s lives.

It’s about breaking down stigma perceptions and presumptions and creating an accessible and equitable environment for fans to enjoy the game. As Lindsay explains:

“Ear protection should be promoted by clubs just like ramps or sensory rooms. It’s not just for children or those with conditions such as autism, but also fans of all ages with hearing disabilities such as Tinnitus”.

Her message is clear:

• Tinnitus is more than “just a noise” — it’s a neurological condition that can cause pain, exhaustion, and emotional strain.
• Hearing impairments aren’t limited to hearing loss – they are multiple, including Tinnitus and Hyperacusis.
• People with Tinnitus deserve reasonable adjustments in the same way people with other disabilities do.

Through her advocacy, Lindsay is showing that with understanding, awareness, and the right support, live sport can be accessible to everyone.

She urges all those with Tinnitus not to give up on watching the beloved game and their club – get in touch with your Club’s DSA.

If anyone would like more information, contact Lindsay at:

[email protected]