Marina Logacheva is a disability advocate and Disability Sports Lead at creative agency MATTA. She is also co-founder of adaptive fashion brand FAST, and an accomplished handcyclist.
Marina became a tetraplegic wheelchair user at the end of 2020 following a traumatic fall. In this interview, Marina discusses some of the barriers she faces as a wheelchair user, the journey to achieving greater accessibility in sports, and how she approaches sustainability and innovation as an entrepreneur.
You’ve always been a keen athlete, and are now an accomplished handcyclist based in London, travelling internationally. What is your general experience like when travelling?
There are many barriers, but I try to stay positive. If I were to start describing everything at once it could be overwhelming for people to hear, especially those unfamiliar with disability. When people have never experienced even a temporary disability, like a broken leg, they can find the realities of a disabled person’s experience too daunting and avoid the topic entirely – which is why it’s important to introduce the subject in stages.
One of the biggest issues I face, especially when travelling for competitions, is the lack of basic accessibility and awareness. In terms of environmental barriers, toilets are a constant challenge; venues may claim to have accessible toilets, but the doors are too narrow or the set-up unusable. This applies to trains, hotels and stations too. As a wheelchair user, every curb and pavement angle affects my mobility, making navigation another persistent hurdle.
More transparency is needed; if a venue doesn’t have accessible toilets, simply noting that on their Google listing would help people to plan accordingly. During a recent handcycling World Cup in Italy, although infrastructure wasn’t always accessible, I appreciated people’s openness and curiosity. Locals offered to carry me up stairs or find ways to help me shower in inaccessible Airbnbs. That willingness to help in difficult circumstances made a real difference.
There’s also a major social barrier: a lack of understanding and disability etiquette. Regardless of setting, I often encounter awkward or uninformed behaviour; not out of malice, but ignorance. It’s important that people educate themselves on how to interact respectfully with those who have disabilities. A bit of curiosity, learning and awareness goes a long way.
Marina’s experience travelling for handcycling competitions has included a wide breadth of accessibility provision.
How do those barriers compare with the sporting venues and events you attend?
Because disabilities are so diverse, achieving full accessibility at sporting venues is always a challenge. Every individual has different needs – whether it’s a wheelchair user, someone with a limb difference, low vision or neurodivergence – so it’s hard to meet all requirements without thoughtful planning. Too often, venues fail to provide adequate seating, ticketing options or inclusive experiences for fans with various needs.
The solution isn’t complex but it requires effort. Consult people with disabilities, involve wheelchair users, blind individuals, or neurodivergent people as accessibility consultants. Let them evaluate and design venues, and offer practical feedback. This is something many event organisers overlook, even at major stadiums or concerts, where basic navigation and accessibility could have been improved with just a little more planning.
What empowers you to travel and participate in sporting events?
Before becoming a wheelchair user, I was spontaneous; I could book a flight in the morning and leave by afternoon. Now, every trip requires detailed planning. I have to call airlines to check if they can accommodate my wheelchair, ensure taxi drivers can transport it, and verify accommodation accessibility. Even basic things like accessing a shower or navigating a flat require confirmation, as “accessible” often means different things to different people.
Driving brings its own challenges. I once asked ChatGPT how many toilet stops I could make en route to Italy. I rely on tools like Google Maps, which now includes some accessibility features, but the information isn’t always reliable. Places may claim accessibility and fall short, or not mention it at all, requiring calls and extra checks.
Although some startups are working on accessibility-focused navigation tools, there’s no single reliable source where all necessary information – such as toilet access, step-free routes, or nearby facilities – is available. Instead, I juggle between apps, phone calls, and user-uploaded photos, which is time-consuming and exhausting. For many people, that uncertainty around planning can be overwhelming, which is where a centralised, accurate accessibility resource would make a huge difference.
From your position at MATTA, how is the accessibility of sporting events changing?
The accessibility and visibility of adaptive sports is evolving. At a recent event in Lausanne organised by MATTA and Changing the Narrative, parathletes, charities and federations gathered to discuss these changes. A key positive shift is the integration of adaptive sports with mainstream events like the Olympics. When Paralympic and Olympic events occur side-by-side, fans are more likely to attend out of curiosity and discover the excitement of adaptive sports.
Another significant change is the rise of digital broadcasting. Livestreaming on platforms like YouTube and Facebook increases access and drives interest; the more viewers there are, the more likely it is that brands and sponsors will invest in disability sports.
A challenge, however, is that the sporting federations that organise events for people with disabilities rarely have the money to spare on advertising and promotion. It becomes a vicious circle where brands need to see viewers to invest, but organisations don’t have the money to promote their events to get viewers.
As with women’s sports several years ago, para sports are at a pivotal stage. With the right support and awareness, they can grow into equally celebrated and widely supported disciplines, offering athletes the recognition and opportunities they deserve.
Promotion, public engagement and investment are key to the development of para sports. Photo: Andril Solok
What is needed to increase accessibility at established sporting events?
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution for every sport, but collaboration and preparation are key to creating more inclusive events. First, location is crucial. If an event is held in a remote or unfamiliar area, people are less likely to attend. But if it’s in a central, well-known and accessible venue, more people will come. Accessible, high-traffic locations naturally increase visibility and participation.
Another powerful tool is celebrity advocacy. If well-known athletes or influencers use their platforms to publicly support or attend para sports, it can spark media interest and public curiosity, motivating fans to attend and helping to normalise and elevate disability sports.
For disabled spectators, access remains a major issue. There are often limited wheelchair spaces, and accessible ticketing and infrastructure still fall short.
Moreover, accessibility information is rarely visible or comprehensive. People with different needs require clear, detailed information on venue access, navigation and support services. More transparency and budget allocation for accessibility could help attendees feel confident that venues can accommodate them.
The recently-introduced European Accessibility Act should inspire positive change as well – not just accessibility in terms of the environment, but also digital accessibility and training; all the parameters that will make a difference to disabled spectators.
What best practice have you encountered regarding accessibility and venues?
I recently attended a concert at Ovo Arena Wembley and it was the best accessibility experience I’ve had. Everything from parking to navigating the venue was smooth and welcoming, and staff were trained, friendly and well-informed.
I loved the new app created by Wheelchair Football Association (you can download it on iOS and Android platforms). It provides an amazing platform to share livestreaming, and match day scores, including commentator comments. And the most important thing it can be replicated for other para sport federations and adapted sport event organisers, to enhance viewership of their events!
Nimbus Disability provides a seamless B2B integration with venues and ticketing providers, which allows for better event planning and experience of people with disabilities.
There is, however, a lack of dedicated apps to enhance the accessibility of sporting venues. Different events require different navigation setups, so having up-to-date information (e.g. real life navigation within the venue) easily accessible would be invaluable. Many people may not wish to disclose their disability, so being able to review accessibility features in advance is essential – for example, photos, videos and detailed descriptions would help users assess whether facilities meet their needs.
In addition to your work at MATTA, your volunteering and of course your sporting life, you’ve also co-founded FAST, an adaptive clothing brand. As an entrepreneur, how do you approach innovation and sustainability?
As a small fashion startup, sustainability and innovation look very different compared to larger brands. In my case, sustainability means creating adaptive clothing with durable, high-quality materials that withstand frequent washing without losing color, shape or fit. It’s about investing in garments that last and bring long-term comfort and functionality.
Innovation is deeply rooted in feedback. With a background in marketing and product development, I approached fashion similarly. I asked customers what they wanted: where they prefer pockets, what colours they like, what garments they need. Function came first, and then I worked with a designer to make the clothes stylish as well.
However, adaptive fashion presents a unique challenge. Disabilities are diverse, and not everyone needs the same adaptations. While my designs work well for a certain group, scaling remains difficult. The more specific the adaptation, the smaller the niche.
To grow, I’m researching with others in the community to explore how to make designs more broadly inclusive and serve a wider audience. Shifting the focus from disability-specific to universally accessible design could help expand the customer base while maintaining function and style. The goal is to stay true to adaptive needs while making the brand more scalable and accessible beyond a narrow niche.
Photo: Harding Ferrent
The profile of disabled sports is rising, and getting attention beyond the Paralympics. What networks and organisations are doing great work to increase accessibility for sports, and more widely?
I’m really grateful to be engaging in wider industry discussions now, though it’s taken about a year to get to this point. A recent milestone was a MATTA event in Switzerland, organised in collaboration Changing The Narrative.
There are promising developments elsewhere. I’m working with a few fitness and sports networks to organise events that promote disability sports. Meanwhile, organisations like Access Sport are doing important work promoting para sports, particularly for disadvantaged children. Though their focus isn’t exclusively on disability, they’re raising awareness and helping brands recognise the value of investing in para sports.
Despite this progress, this area remains largely unrepresented across agencies and brands. But as more organisations, charities and initiatives come together, sharing knowledge and forming collaborations, momentum is building. Increased awareness and storytelling through interviews, events and written features are helping create space for disability sports in mainstream conversations. I hope more partners and professionals will soon join the effort so this work doesn’t feel like such a solitary journey.
Thank you Marina for sharing your insights and being such an inspiring person. During our conversation I thought of various related projects or frameworks which are shared below:
- Design for the mind: Neurodiversity and the built environment. British Standards PAS 6463:2022, Jean Hewitt
- Place Experience Platform: enhancing accessibility with digital technologies
- All In: an Arts Council collaboration that aims to improve the experience of D/deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people attending creative and cultural events across the UK and Ireland through barrier removal, making it easier to book tickets and to offer consistency.
- RIBA Plan of Work Overlay: Inclusive Design and Engagement
- Essential Principles Guide. Construction Industry Council
- Inclusive Design in the Built Environment: training handbook. Design Commission for Wales
