Openlands is thrilled to announce a first-ever partnership with Access Living, a Chicago-based service and advocacy center for disabled people, run and led by disabled people. Together, they have been awarded the Partnerships for Disability Access, Inclusion, and Leadership Grant 2024, receiving $15,000 to fund an innovative project that will enhance accessibility for individuals with disabilities on Openlands’ Get Outside Map.
The Land Trust Alliance and the Council for Inclusive Health and Disabilities, in collaboration with Disabled Hikers, have launched this grant program to support land trusts in adopting inclusive practices that benefit people with disabilities. Recognizing that approximately 1 out of every 4 adults in the U.S. lives with a disability and that individuals with disabilities have the same desire to enjoy nature and reap its health and well-being benefits as people without disabilities, the fund aims to foster partnerships, build relationships and trust, and co-create programs and services that benefit the disabled community.
The project, titled “Cultivating Inclusive Outdoor Exploration: Enhancing Accessibility on Openlands’ Get Outside Map,” focuses on improving accessibility for individuals with disabilities. Through focus groups, pilot changes, and the creation of an assessment report, the project will increase access to outdoor recreation and information in the Chicago region for people of all abilities.
Access Living will host peer-supported focus groups consisting of people with various disabilities to identify best practices for making Openlands’ trail experiences more inclusive. While Openlands’ Get Outside Map currently allows for filtering for wheelchairs, there is exciting potential to further enhance its functionality by including nuanced information for people with a wide range of physical and mental abilities. This collaboration with people with disabilities will help identify the best kinds of information to help individuals safely prepare for a hike. Additionally, Access Living’s Certified Web Accessibility Specialists, all of whom have disabilities, will test and provide recommendations to improve the accessibility of Openlands’ Get Outside Map on its website.
Openlands’ board member Daisy Feidt and her team at Access Living, along with Openlands’ Communications Team, will help guide this project, which serves as a pilot to enhance accessibility on the Get Outside Map with the goal of eventually updating the entire map. Openlands is committed to connecting all people to nature, regardless of ability, and is excited to collaborate with Access Living on this project to remove the barriers that prevent the inclusion of people with disabilities in outdoor recreation.
Are you a disabled person interested in learning more about this project? Would you like to participate in a focus group to help make Openlands’ initiatives more accessible and inclusive? Fill out this form and we’ll keep you posted! We appreciate your interest.
