Contributed by Lucie Lehmann
Header image: photo of Freya McGregor
How to Make Birding More Accessible and Inclusive to all People:
A Conversation with Freya McGregor
Freya McGregor describes herself as an “occupational therapist, a disabled birder, an Australian living in the US, a military spouse, a writer, a researcher, a consultant, and an advocate for access and inclusion in birding and the outdoors.” She is one of the most articulate and outspoken advocates for disabled birders, and she is a frequent contributor to publications, including Audubon magazine.
She is, understandably, also a very busy woman. When she is not working as an OT or writing her forthcoming book, A Field Guide to Accessible Birding in North America, to be published by Princeton University Press in the Fall of 2026, McGregor heads her own consulting firm, Access Birding, that works with nature organizations to become more accessible to all birders.
GMAS Board Member Lucie Lehmann recently talked with McGregor and asked her what accessibility means and why it’s so important to do more to make all birders feel included and able to enjoy birding. The interview has been edited and condensed.
McGregor: “Everyone has access needs. If a building was built with no stairs or escalator or elevator or ramp, no one would be able to get to the second floor because we can’t jump that high or fly. If you put a ramp or an elevator in, everybody will be able to get to that second floor. That’s what accessibility is about. It’s about trying to create environments, physical environments like birding trails, or nature centers…to where everybody can participate. Because if we’re not doing this on purpose, it’s really easy to exclude folks that you didn’t mean to exclude. Access and inclusion are inextricably linked. And it feels really good to be included, right? That’s why we do things together. So, access is about all of us.
Lehmann: How do we get people and organizations to think about that notion of being included?
McGregor: It’s not enough to just think you’re being inclusive. It’s not the same thing as going out of your way to make sure that people know that you want them to come. So, things like adding descriptions for bird walks that you might be hosting, having really clear information about what to expect if you did come, like it’s going to be a flat trail that is mostly paved. Or, we’re going to walk about a mile over two hours, really concrete information that tells me whether or not I can do that. Being really clear about what to expect helps folks feel included. The thing about being intentionally inclusive is that it takes more time and it takes more energy. Sometimes it costs more money; mostly though, it doesn’t.
Lehmann: Do individual chapters like GMAS have a responsibility to make accessibility a priority?
McGregor: Absolutely. If part of the purpose of being involved in birding groups is to encourage people to care about birds and act as conservationists, then we are more powerful when there are more people involved. And the CDC says one in four Americans has a disability. Now, every disability is different and everyone has different access needs. But that’s a lot of people who could potentially be voting or be involved in citizen science. If you’re not being inclusive about how you do outreach and programming, you’re not going to be bringing those people in. If the location is not accessible, we’re missing out on a lot of people who we could be bringing in.
Lehmann: I can hear the voices saying, well of course we want to do that in theory, but we don’t have a lot of money to make improvements. So how do we weigh that against everything else that we do?
McGregor: You don’t have to remodel a multimillion-dollar visitor center or pave every trail. It’s just that if there are places that could be improved, could we improve a bit on the access front? Any single thing you do will make a difference. Adding one bench [on a trail] makes a difference, as does having detailed descriptions of outings. Each thing that you do makes it more accessible for the next person.
Lehmann: How do you know what’s the most important thing to do when you’re thinking about improving accessibility?
McGregor: Talk to your members and the local disability community about what they want, what they need, what their experiences are. Get community involvement, because you get to learn from people with lived experience and you’re going to develop something that actually serves the people you’re trying to serve. And you’re going to have this community investment in what you create, because they were a part of the design and consultation process. Doing that will help a board or organization feel more confident that what they’re doing is going to be valuable and impactful.
Author’s note: As McGregor continues her research for her book, she would welcome any information on accessible birding sites in Vermont and throughout New England. You can reach her at: freya@accessbirding.com. Similarly, if your organization is seeking help with becoming more accessible and inclusive, she would love to hear from you.