5 footballers inspiring change this International Day of Persons with Disabilities | OneFootball

December 3rd is International Day of Persons with Disabilities — an annual celebration to promote the rights of disabled people. It aims to raise awareness of the barriers disabled people face, whilst promoting inclusion in all aspects of society.

In women’s football, we see players, people working in the industry, and fans alike sharing their lived experience of disability and championing accessibility.

To mark this important day, we’ve put together a list of players sharing their lived experience of disability or chronic illness.

Lucy Bronze

Lucy Bronze is the most decorated female player in English football.

The Chelsea and England defender also has autism and ADHD, which she describes as a ‘superpower’. It’s something that’s a real asset in her drive and determination to succeed.

Bronze always knew she was different. It was something her mum had suspected since she was little. But Bronze didn’t receive her official diagnosis until 2021, a moment she says ‘explained a lot of things’.

She’s now an ambassador for the National Autistic Society to help raise awareness and change the stigma.

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Mackenzie Arnold

Australia international and Portland Thorns goalkeeper Mackenzie Arnold put off dealing with her hearing loss until the coronavirus pandemic, when she realised how reliant she was on lip-reading.

Arnold’s brother, who has worn hearing aids since childhood, encouraged her to see a specialist, and in April 2023, she collected her first set of hearing aids.

While she chooses not to wear them for matches or training sessions to avoid damaging them, she admits that it was a life-changing moment that has had an enormous impact on her life.

Although she initially didn’t want to accept wearing hearing aids for the rest of her life, she’s now adjusted to life with them.

Arnold took to social media to talk about her experiences in a video and was overwhelmed with the response. She received messages from young people and parents, calling her an inspiration.

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That video has led to a much wider impact than she expected.

Although Arnold’s journey wearing hearing aids may not have been straightforward, it has started conversations. Wearing hearing aids has made her feel ‘much more confident and connected’, and it’s helped others feel the same.

Read more: A women’s football guide for disabled supporters

Leah Williamson

Lionesses captain Leah Williamson led England to becoming back-to-back European champions in 2022 and again in 2025.

What you might not know is that an endometriosis flare-up nearly caused her to miss the 2022 tournament.

Williamson was diagnosed with the condition a year prior to England’s success on home soil. She spent the tournament in a silent battle, desperately willing it not to flare up during the Euros.

A head injury she suffered shortly before the Euros only intensified these worries. The trauma eventually provoked a bout of particularly acute menstrual pain.

Since her diagnosis, the Arsenal and England defender has continued to call for greater awareness of a condition that impacts so many women’s lives.

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Hannah Hampton

Hannah Hampton has played for the likes of Birmingham City, Aston Villa, and in 2023, she signed a three-year deal with Chelsea. She’s also worked her way through the England ranks and is now her country’s number one.

She was pivotal between the sticks at Euro 2025, helping England become back-to-back champions.

The Chelsea and England goalkeeper has strabismus, an eye condition where the eyes don’t look in the same direction as each other. As a child, Hampton had multiple operations to try to correct it, none of which were largely successful.

The goalkeeper didn’t speak publicly about her eye condition until 2021. She chose to do so in the hopes that her experiences could be a positive story for others.

That advocacy has clearly resonated. Not only did she win the Yashin Trophy at the 2025 Ballon d’Or Awards, but she also received a Love Your Eyes special recognition award for sharing her eye health story.

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Carson Pickett

Carson Pickett has achieved so much on the pitch. She’s also a tireless disability advocate off it.

Pickett has been a regular team member throughout the NWSL, and in 2024, returned to Orlando Pride, where she’s been a staple part of the defence.

In 2022, she made her debut for the US women’s national team, becoming the first player with a limb difference to play for the USWNT.

Pickett was born with a shorter left arm and without a completely developed hand. When she plays, she constantly finds ways to improve and get creative with her game, ultimately making it more accessible for her.

Pickett forces players to the outside towards her stronger right hand. She has also developed a strong ability to read the field.

She has admitted to struggling with her limb difference when she was younger, wearing sweatshirts in summer so as not to show her arm.

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Over the years, her mindset has shifted. She now focuses on what she can achieve and feels much more confident in herself. That self-belief is something that clearly shines on the pitch, too.

In 2020, she teamed up with Nike to help develop and promote the Phantom GT Flyease, football boots without laces that are more accessible for football players with limb differences.

She also regularly interacts with fans who have limb differences and encourages them to chase their dreams inside and outside of sport. This is driven by the belief that ‘sport should be for everyone’.

Those are just some of the women in football who are amazing disability advocates and role models.

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