Accessibility of national parks and other natural protected areas for people with disabilities: a scoping review of the academic literature

Abstract

National parks and protected wilderness areas provide benefits through leisure activities to many. Yet, many people with disabilities are unable to experience these benefits because of barriers. Therefore, it is important to understand how to improve access to these spaces for people with disabilities. The objective of this study is to identify barriers and facilitators to accessibility in national parks and protected natural areas. Using a scoping review methodology, we searched eighteen academic databases and found 44 sources meeting our eligibility criteria. Our findings include tables that map the literature by publication year, types of disabilities, specific national parks, park activities, and areas of barriers and facilitators. From these sources, we also identified twelve themes, with thought-provoking ones for us including providing relevant information about the accessibility of parks to potential visitors, effective stakeholder relationships, and facilitating mediated experiences for people who cannot visit parks. A considerable gap in the literature is that many impairments or conditions are either recognized infrequently or not at all. Future research is encouraged to study how a broader range of people with disabilities experience national parks and protected areas.