A survey on understanding factors that influence accessibility in national and provincial parks for adults with disabilities and caregivers

Abstract

Background

Over 8 million Canadians have a disability, and many develop secondary health conditions. Access to nature through national and provincial parks has benefits for wellbeing which can improve the quality of life of people with disabilities and minimize the impacts of related health conditions.

Objective

To facilitate equitable access to parks and park activities, we captured the perspectives of people with disabilities and their caregivers to uncover the factors that influence park accessibility.

Methods

We developed a Canada-wide online survey with open and closed-ended questions, which were organized in relation to the four stages of a park visit: (1) planning a trip to the park, (2) traveling to the park, (3) facilities and activities at the park, and (4) feelings post-visit. Closed ended questions were summarized using descriptive statistics and open-ended questions were analyzed using a summative content analysis.

Results

A total of 210 (136 people with disabilities and 74 caregivers) participants completed this study. We found that four key factors impacted park accessibility: access to information at the planning stage, accessible transportation at the traveling stage, built environment while interacting with park facilities and activities, and inclusivity of the park when reflecting post-visit.

Conclusion

Many barriers to accessing parks still exist for people with disabilities and caregivers. Future research could explore topics such as park information, crowding, implementation of adaptive technologies in parks, and representation of people with disabilities in park governance. Research should consider persons experiencing environmental sensitivities, both vision and hearing loss, and people with hidden disabilities.