Hard-packed soil paths are okay until it rains

October 17, 2023 12:14 PM

Birdability Week is October 16 - 22. Advertising a bird outing just as “accessible” does not provide nearly the amount of detail that most people with disabilities need to decide if it’s an event they could attend. Surfaces? Gravel-sized’ stone usually sits up on top of trail surfaces and can be too large and movable for wheeled mobility devices to safely and comfortably travel over. Benches should be connected to the trail by a paved surface. For people with mobility challenges, having a bench 2 meters away from the trail, over grassy or muddy ground, may make it inaccessible to them… even though they’d really like to have a rest! Birdability previously and previouslier.

Steps to Implement Accessible and Inclusive Birding. Interviews with Access Birding founder Freya McGregor: Assembling Inclusion and Birdy Bunch podcasts.

posted by spamandkimchi (4 comments total)

Also examples of interpretive signs that are accessible!
posted by spamandkimchi at 12:38 PM on October 17, 2023 [2 favorites]

Thank you for this!
posted by jessamyn at 3:11 PM on October 17, 2023

I need to read the links but wow, it's so nice to see that bit about benches. I'm not in a chair and I don't use a cane or other assistive walking device, but I really hate when I have to struggle to get to a bench when I'm out and about because nobody thought to put the bench where I can walk to it. Thanks for this.
posted by gentlyepigrams at 3:27 PM on October 17, 2023 [2 favorites]

Thanks for the post. I'm the current president of my local Audubon society. We try to note the accessibility levels of our walks, and this will certainly help us communicate better and plan our walks with more accessibility in mind. It will also help us advocate for accessibility in park planning, maintenance, and renovation efforts. We try to get our opinions heard by the county park commission that owns a lot important bird habitat when it comes to managing the parks to benefit birds. We should certainly being doing what we can advocate making them better for all birders, too.
posted by mollweide at 3:37 PM on October 17, 2023 [5 favorites]