Every Body Belongs Outdoors
This blog post is a transcript of a YouTube video! If you’d like to watch the video instead, go to: https://youtu.be/zAOK_e9vJ5g
Marisa @ Disabled in Nature
“My favorite thing to do outdoors is birding. What makes the outdoors accessible for me are paved trails, smooth boardwalks, and wheelchair accessible restrooms.”
Dani D.
“My favorite thing to do outdoors is downhill ski, hike, and- take a walk lately- and stand up paddleboard when I’m able to. What makes the outdoors more accessible to me as a dynamically disabled individual is having access to accessible parking spaces, especially when I go downhill skiing. It is great to have spaces very close to the lift lines, because I’m able to save energy in order to enjoy my sport.”
Jennifer Del Castillo @double_spirals
“What I like to do outdoors: watch the birds eating and singing, photography, seeing maybe like a mother deer taking her doe out into the forest and see them just having a great time. What makes the outdoors accessible for me is…. I was involved in a car accident almost one year ago and I suffered a lot of damage. So forearm crutches are a part of my life, and a part of my life consists of going outdoors. The outdoors has always been a special thing to me. If I didn’t have my forearm crutches, I would not be going anywhere. “
Taylor @taytortoo
“I think one of my favorite things about the outdoors is really just sitting out in nature, whether it’s at my house, sitting outside with my dog, or in my garden- which is sort of a love/hate relationship but I do enjoy it, and I love being out in my garden. I also love to go hiking and camping with my husband and dog. I have chronic daily migraine and I can get very fatigued, and very lightheaded out of the blue, and it happens very often. So having somewhere to just sit down for a second and recoup, and get back on track is very helpful. Also, bathrooms. I have a GI condition and having a bathroom nearby can take just one stressor, at least one stressor out of the equation.”
Tatsuko @gooutwild
“There are many ways that I love to spend time in the outdoors- hiking, camping, but really my most favorite way to be in nature is to just spend time in my garden. When I am on the trails, there are definitely a few things that would make my experience more accessible. I am someone with a brain injury and I really struggle with directionality, so having better signage on trails would help a lot. I find myself getting lost much more frequently. And related to that is folks staying on the trail and not creating footpaths. It’s very easy for me to get confused and choose the wrong path.”
Amy Denton-Luke, Disabled in the Wild, @disabledinthewild7
Being disabled doesn't mean you can't enjoy outdoor recreation. I think there's a common misconception that disabled folks either aren't interested in the outdoors or that we can't do anything outdoors, and that's just not true. Disabled people can enjoy all kinds of outdoor activities, it just depends on each person's particular disabilities and the accessibility of the outdoor spaces in their area.
Accessibility can mean a lot of different things because disability means a lot of things. It's not just folks who use mobility aids, it's also people who have chronic illnesses that cause fatigue or difficulty with balance, cognitive disabilities that cause memory loss and confusion, or medical conditions that cause breathing or digestive issues. Because each disability is different, what makes the outdoors accessible for each person is going to vary as well. Some folks might need van-accessible parking spaces, accessible restrooms, a flat wide path with no stairs or other obstacles, clear signage and maps, and benches with back support every few hundred feet.
There's also barriers like cost, transportation, reservation systems, lack of information online, as well as cultural barriers like ableism.
It's not necessarily our disabilities keeping us from the outdoors, but the lack of accessibility. When we do have that access, when we build our public outdoor spaces to be as accessible to as many people as we can, when we include benches and bathrooms and signs and level trails, we invite everyone to enjoy the outdoors.
It's so important to create those spaces where everyone can explore and feel welcome, because this is something that affects everyone. Any one of us can become disabled or more disabled at any time, and I know for me, personally, I not only want to make sure that I can keep doing the things I love, but I also want to make sure my family, friends, neighbors, and community have the access they need too. We all deserve access to outdoor spaces.
So this Great Outdoors Month, I want to encourage everyone to visit your favorite public outdoor spaces and reflect on who it's currently accessible to. Would a wheelchair user be able to get from the parking lot to the point of interest? Could someone with low vision navigate the trails on their own? Does a person with chronic fatigue syndrome have a place to rest? What small adjustments could be made to make sure everyone can safely explore it?
Because with the right access, everyone can enjoy the outdoors. We might need to do things a little bit differently, but it doesn't make our time spent outdoors any less valuable.
Every body belongs outdoors.
Happy Great Outdoors Month everybody!
This video was originally created for Explore Austin, a nonprofit organization that uses "mentoring, leadership, and outdoor adventure to empower youth from economically disadvantaged communities to reach their full potential in Austin, Texas". Every year, Explore Austin hosts an event for Great Outdoors Month, and this year's theme is on body diversity and accessibility in the outdoors - what those terms mean, why they're important, what the barriers currently are, etc. If you’d like to learn more about Explore Austin, go to: exploreaustin.org
If you’d like to learn more about accessibility in the outdoors, please check out my full-length blog post and video at: www.disabledinthewild.com/blog/accessibility-in-the-outdoors
