New Guidance, Giveaways, and Why Adaptive Equipment Matters in Birding
The Equipment Closet at Paul H. Douglas Environmental Education Center, Indiana Dunes National Park with multiple mobility aids for trails and beaches.
Access is not just about trails and terrain. For many birders with disabilities and other health concerns, access also means having the right tools such as mobility scooters, rollators, binocular stands, communication boards, fidget tools, and more, to participate fully and joyfully in outdoor spaces.
That is why we are thrilled to share our newest resource:
Adaptive Equipment for Birding Loaner Closets: A Practical Guide
This guidance document is intended for parks, nature centers, birding clubs, and outdoor organizations seeking to create truly welcoming spaces. Inside, you will find:
A detailed list of adaptive equipment across multiple categories
Suggestions for mobility, vision, communication, sensory, and cognitive support
Tips for storage, check out systems, and staff training
Simple comfort tools that make a big difference
Whether you are building a new adaptive loaner closet or expanding an existing one, this guide offers practical steps to help birders with disabilities feel expected, not just invited. Please note that this is not an exhaustive list, or an all-at-once endeavor! This list is meant to help you identify new tools and resources that you may be able to supply over time, and we know that there are many more that would be terrific additions (in fact, let us know what else you recommend!). We will continue to update this evolving resource with your help.
Image description: A blue graphic sprinkled with small white star shapes promotes a Birdability and VOCIC giveaway. The Birdability wordmark with a small gray bird appears at upper left and the VOCIC logo in a dark blue oval appears at upper right. Large white text in the center reads Giveaway. Two large circular photo frames sit below. The left frame shows a red and black VOCIC Z21 Rollator. The right frame shows a compact red VOCIC D50 Mobility Scooter.
VOCIC and Birdability July Giveaway: Mobility Scooters and Rollators
To celebrate Disability Pride Month and uplift this new guidance, we are partnering with VOCIC to give away mobility scooters and rollators to several disabled birders through a special social media event this July. Entries are being accepted now on our @birdability Instagram and Facebook pages where you can learn more about VOCIC and the equipment that they are partnering with us to give to disabled birders!
Participants will share how one of these devices could transform their birding life. Winners will be selected based on the impact described in their comments and will be invited to share photos and feedback to help others see what is possible.
Then, during Birdability Week in October (October 20-26, 2025) , it will be your turn to enter your organization (parks, birding groups, land conservation organizations, etc) to win as you work on building loaner closets or adaptive equipment toolboxes for your outings and events! Start thinking now about how a mobility device in your loaner closet could help create access, and we will let you know how to participate as we get closer to Birdability Week.
Stay tuned on our social media pages for launch details.
Why It All Matters
Birding can be a pathway to mental and physical wellness, joy, and belonging. But for many people, inaccessible environments and a lack of adaptive tools mean birding simply is not an option.
Loaner closets filled with thoughtfully selected equipment can change that. So can a single mobility scooter or rollator available for individual use. Investments like these are invitations to participate, connect, and get out into nature to bird for folks with disabilities and other health concerns.
We are excited to keep building a world where everyone can get out and bird their way!