Birdability Launches a New Survey on Access and Inclusion in Birding

Image description: A poster titled “Birding for Every Body: What makes birding accessible for you?” invites participants to add sticky notes with their ideas or use dots to upvote others. The poster features the Birdability logo and is covered with colorful sticky notes in pink, yellow, blue, purple, and orange. Handwritten ideas include “easy access spots,” “chairs,” “bird songs,” “diverse voices,” “clear maps,” “safety,” “accessible trails,” “signage,” and “adaptable programming.” The display showcases a vibrant collection of community responses about what helps make birding more inclusive and accessible. Responses were collected at the Southeast Arizona Birding Festival Birdability table. Photo courtesy of Lindsey Stone.

Birdability Birders’ Survey 2020 & 2025

In 2020, Birdability asked birders across the country to share their experiences: what draws them to birds, what gets in the way, and what makes birding possible. The responses revealed not only the deep joy, community, and healing that birding provides, but also the barriers that continue to prevent many people from fully belonging in outdoor spaces.

“Birding gives me peace and connection even when my body limits my options.”

Image description: A group of seven people smiles together on a wooded trail near an information kiosk filled with park maps and nature displays. One person at the center uses a power wheelchair, and others stand beside them, some holding binoculars or wearing birding gear. An ASL interpreter is nearby and the park staff are in uniforms. Sunlight filters through the trees, and a table with outreach materials is visible to the right. The scene captures an inclusive birding outing that centers accessibility, community, and connection with nature.

Birders consistently named physical barriers as the biggest obstacles. Uneven trails, gravel paths, and steep grades made it difficult or impossible for some to join others in the field. The absence of seating, accessible gender-neutral restrooms, and shade was another theme. One respondent shared, “I can’t go far without a place to rest, so I often feel like I have to turn back while everyone else keeps going.”

Social barriers also emerged. Some birders expressed feeling unwelcome when outings did not acknowledge their access needs. Others described the pain of being overlooked or left behind when a group moved too quickly. “I want to be with my birding friends,” one respondent wrote, “but I need them to slow down so I can keep up.”

Technology and communication challenges were another top barrier. For birders who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, the lack of captioning on virtual programs or the absence of interpreters at in-person events meant exclusion from the very community that birding can build. Clear communication and planning ahead with participants were highlighted as small steps that make a big difference.

Image description: An ASL interpreter is in the forefront at a bird outing, with participants using a white cane and holding an amplified sound recorder behind them.  They are at RockyMountain NP and there are buildings and trees behind them as they stand in a dirt area with sparse grass.

Yet alongside these challenges, the survey also illuminated what helps. Birders celebrated outings where leaders described birds aloud, where adaptive equipment was welcomed, and where participants felt invited rather than accommodated. “Accessible trails mean I can join friends without worrying about being left behind.”

These findings underscore a simple truth: when barriers are removed and supports are in place, birding becomes a space of belonging. The voices of birders remind us that inclusion is not about special treatment, but about creating conditions where everyone has the chance to experience the joy of birds.

Birder joy and belonging help create access to the outdoors for all. The Birdability Birders’ Survey 2020 offered a roadmap: prioritize accessible trails, add seating, accessible restrooms, and shade, plan for interpreters and tactile information, and lead with awareness of varied access needs. Together, we can make birding truly for every body and every mind. So have we?

What is Next

Image description: A pie chart titled “Which best describes your age group?” shows responses divided into four segments. The largest portion, 41.7%, represents respondents ages 60–79 (green). The next largest, 33.3%, are ages 45–59 (yellow). Smaller portions include 16.7% ages 30–44 (purple) and 8.3% ages 18–29 (orange). No respondents selected “Under 18” or “80+” so far.

Birdability is excited to launch a new point-in-time survey to understand how access to birding has changed since our original 2020 Birders’ Survey. That first survey illuminated both the joy of birding and the barriers that keep too many people from belonging. From uneven trails and lack of seating to communication and social barriers, birders named what gets in the way and also what makes participation possible. Five years later, we want to know: has anything shifted? Which access features are improving, and where are barriers still holding people back?

“As an organization rooted in disability justice, it’s essential that we reassess and measure progress. This survey helps us understand not only what has changed since 2020, but also where we must focus our energy and partnerships in the years ahead.”  - Lindsey Stone, Birdability Board President

Image description: A computer screen with graphs and maps from a survey in shades of blue and tan. Photo by Lukas Blazek courtesy of Unsplash.

By revisiting these questions now, Birdability can track progress, uplift what’s working, and keep advocating for the changes needed to make birding truly for every body and every mind. We invite all birders with disabilities or health concerns, or any other access needs, to share their experiences and help us continue to expand belonging in the birding community.