Understanding how nature and the environmental movement are not always universally accessible is an important step in breaking down barriers to participation and fostering inclusion. One form of exclusion can be found in eco-ableism, or the centering of able-bodies over individuals with disabilities in ecological and environmental lenses. In other words, assuming there is equal access to advocacy, natural areas, or environmental work–especially in regards to individuals’ physical and mental capacities– is harmful to all individuals within environmental movements.

Advocacy

One area that eco-ableism is apparent but often overlooked is in environmental advocacy. Individuals often take small scale actions that help them feel like they are contributing to a healthier environment, such as reducing their use of single-use plastics, pursuing zero waste lifestyles, or promoting walking and other zero-emission forms of transportation. These actions often become promoted as “must-do’s” and expectations for someone to be considered an environmentalist. However, failure to acknowledge the role these concepts play in the lives of individuals with disabilities leads to judgment, exclusion, and alienation of potential or active advocates.

For example, those with disabilities may rely on disposable plastics such as straws or plastic bags for their daily habits in a way able-bodied individuals do not think of. Similarly, assuming that those who care for the environment always have the ability to use zero-emission forms of transportation, such as walking, excludes those who cannot afford to make the switch, whether from a wellbeing perspective or from a financial one. In fact, people with disabilities are significantly more likely to live in poverty and/or be unemployed than non-disabled people.

These same individuals are also more likely to suffer from the impacts of climate change for a multitude of reasons. This includes the potential inability to evacuate swiftly and transport essential medical equipment in the case of climate disasters. On a day to day basis, the disproportionate impact can look like an inability to tolerate the changing extremes of weather and temperatures, or increased sensitivity to changes in air quality. This is only heightened by intersecting identities. For example, individuals who have disabilities while also being a part of another marginalized group are at even higher risk of living near pollution sources. These people are also more likely to be in areas that have inadequate access to clean water and air while simultaneously are at heightened risk for climate crises.

Despite interest in engaging in environmental advocacy, eco-ableism often creates barriers for people with disabilities to participate in such efforts. This includes when protests, educational events, websites, and even posts related to environmental work are not made to be accessible to those with reduced visibility, mobility constraints, limited hearing, or other characteristics. Many volunteer opportunities can be extremely physically demanding and don’t offer alternative options, making them completely inaccessible to many people with disabilities.

Accessibility

Nature is important for general wellbeing and has been found to improve not just physical wellbeing but cognitive health as well. Yet, eco-ableism has resulted in inaccessible natural spaces that deny access to, and the benefits of, being in nature.

To begin, public transit itself can have accessibility and financial barriers for those with disabilities, and does not always lead to natural centers regardless. Assuming someone with a disability can make it to a natural space, they are often met with little to no accommodations. Natural centers typically feature taxing terrain, and many lack options for wheelchairs, walkers, or other mobility aids. Unkempt trails also prove dangerous to those with impaired vision, as white canes can get caught on rugged paths or low hanging branches and vines may be hazardous.

Also, there is often an association between physical elitism and the outdoors. While great outdoor experiences should be celebrated, equating outdoor experiences with only being as impressive as its physical toil, can exclude many from the joys of nature, especially those with disabilities. Representation in media contributes to this concept, such as how white, affluent, able-bodied individuals have dominated outdoor-based marketing, TV, and social media. These individuals are often shown undertaking intense, physically taxing activities, creating a social and cultural narrative of the outdoors that excludes the diversity of outdoor experience.

Similarly, there is oftentimes an assumption by people without disabilities about how others should act, including in natural spaces. Including physical elitism, cultural expectations around how to act in nature and what an experience in nature “is” has been defined by able-bodied people as well as other dominant identities. For those with invisible disabilities such as psychological disabilities, such behavior may be unsustainable, if not impossible. Thus, those with disabilities are much more likely to be mistreated in outdoor spaces, making such environments emotionally taxing and thus exclusionary for those with disabilities.

Ways Forward

There are many multifaceted factors that play into eco-ableism and its impacts on people with disabilities. Many of these factors are systemic issues with employment, transportation, policing, and culture at large. However, this does not mean that there are no steps that individuals, organizations, and communities can take to improve conditions for people with disabilities. Anyone who can should take the time to research politicians or advocate for policies that improve accessibility. In addition, anyone, from individuals to organizations, should take the time to consider, include, and consult the views of those with disabilities in their work, and uplift their voices whenever possible. Similarly, everyone should be mindful of the language they use when describing their experiences in the outdoors, and may even consider re-envisioning how and what they value in natural experiences.

Meanwhile, environmental organizations and communities can build upon these initial steps by improving their relationships with people with disabilities. For example, organizations and communities should be mindful to not promise accessibility if it is not actually present; failure to uphold accessibility will only diminish trust for those with disabilities. Furthermore, improving information quantity, quality, and access will benefit those with disabilities as they navigate natural environments and movements. Incorporate accessible features into websites, events, and physical locations wherever possible. Overall, seeking to reduce barriers and increase accessibility will benefit everyone.

Take the time to research and understand what you, your organization, or your community can do to improve accessibility. Feel free to begin your barrier-dismantling journey with the resources linked below: