Trail Access Videos

Why might some People of Color (POC) who live near a trail not make use of it? What can trail managers and advocates do to encourage POC to use trails so that they might enjoy the many physical and mental benefits? To find out, the William Penn Foundation commissioned a study of the equity of access to Circuit Trails in four communities to provide data to guide the work of the Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) Task Force of the Circuit Trails Coalition. Specifically, the study was designed to identify the motivators and barriers to trail use in diverse and underserved neighborhoods that are adjacent to Circuit Trails, to explore the perceptions of trails and the motivations of nearby residents, and to recommend the actions that would better connect and engage those residents with the trails.

This session is for trail advocates and enthusiasts interested in investing time to broaden your understanding of systemic racism and how your group, organization, or company can form a community that fosters Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice (DEIJ). This 90-minute workshop will feature Sara Painter, Lina Beron Echavarria, Tykee James, and Valerie Bader, who have worked to create a DEIJ community since April 2020. This session provides a forum for people to share experiences, learn about and advance effective practices, and identify opportunities to individually and collectively promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in conservation work and environmental organizations. The panel will share lessons learned, approaches, and survey results as well as host a listening session and a Q&A.

During the past year, recreational trail networks have seen unprecedented numbers of users as individuals in our communities are seeking safe ways to enjoy outdoor activities, and in this Asbury Woods is no exception. Asbury Woods is a 205 acre park that is both free to the public and accessible nearly every day of the year for public use and enjoyment. Our nearly 5 mile trail network, located in a suburban landscape, has been an oasis in the community for anyone seeking recreational opportunities, connection to nature, and environmental education. To maximize the potential for engagement with both new and returning trail users, Asbury Woods has expanded our focus on self-guided programming and experiences. These experiences are designed to deliver positive, meaningful connections to nature with minimal physical interaction between our staff and trail users. This has allowed us to step outside our traditional model of educator-led community activities to include new ways of promoting exploration on our trails and remain flexible and relevant during this rapidly changing time. In this session, we will reveal some of the strategies we have used to connect new users with our trail network, share in-person activities we have developed, and discuss some of the ways we continue to keep visitors engaged and returning for more solo adventures. Participants in this session will learn about the tools and resources we’ve found most useful and will leave with self-guided programming ideas that can be adapted to many trail types and locations.

Why should your land trust or conservation organization intentionally seek to implement aspects of universal design and access for your outdoor environment? Universal design has been called “inclusive design,” “design-for-all,” “lifespan design,” and “human-centered design.” This session will give participants an opportunity to begin answering that question, by introducing the principles of universal design and then applying them to planning within your own specific outdoor environment. Universal design serves to result in the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. This session will include an overview of the difference between ADA-compliance and universal access; why universal access is not just about the person with disabilities; and how an outdoor universal access design plan creates practical opportunities for increased local support of conservation.

Most of the work undertaken to date to improve access to parks and preserves for people with disabilities has focused on assuring that the design of trails and related infrastructure is aligned with federal guidelines derived from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). While these efforts have been invaluable in helping to reconnect populations with the most significant levels of disability to nature, there is a growing awareness that those with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (I/DD) and related conditions like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) also struggle to break through other barriers to accessing and enjoying the outdoors. The Land Trust Alliance (LTA) has recognized the significance of these gaps, and will soon publish national guidelines for improving the inclusion of people with disabilities, with the goal of increasing access to preserves and engagement in conservation efforts. Drawing on his training as a clinical psychologist, and experience as a father to a young woman with significant I/DD and related conditions (Margot), Dr. Peter Doehring has developed Progressive Access, a framework for understanding and systematically overcoming barriers to help people like Margot enjoy the outdoors. In this presentation, Dr. Doehring will describe how to use Progressive Access to identify opportunities to connect people with I/DD and related conditions in your communities to land and water trails in place or under development. Specifically, Dr. Doehring will describe how eight steps across two phases of Progressive Access – Education, Environment, Equipment, and Engagement, and then Execution, Enjoyment, Evaluation, and Endurance – can be used to create successful experiences hiking a land trail or paddling a water trail. This presentation targets organizations with established land or water trails, and which have already begun to take active steps to accommodate people with disabilities.

Most of the work undertaken to date to improve access to parks and preserves for people with disabilities has focused on assuring that the design of trails and related infrastructure is aligned with federal guidelines derived from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). While these efforts have been invaluable in helping reconnect populations with more significant levels of physical disability and sensory impairments to nature, there is a growing awareness that a much larger population facing other barriers faces significant challenges accessing the outdoors. This population ranges from people with developmental disabilities and related conditions like Autism Spectrum Disorder, to those recovering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and to those struggling simply to overcome the normal effects of aging. Helping these populations requires that we consider more than just the physical characteristics of trails. We have to also begin to understand the challenges faced by different kinds of users, groups they belong to, their communities and the kinds of programs and partnerships we must create with schools, hospitals, and other community-based organizations to help people take full advantage of the trail systems which we create.

Ensuring that all Pennsylvanians have plentiful opportunities for close-to-home recreation is a top plan priority. Learn how the south-east Circuit Trail coalition is moving from dialogue to action to build more equitable and diverse trails.