Prioritizing accessibility at the Adirondack Nature Festival

Community members embrace outdoor inclusion at the first-ever event for people with disabilities at Paul Smith’s VIC

By David Escobar

The breathtaking views of an evergreen forest or the sounds of a babbling brook are sources of peace and renewal for people in the Adirondacks. However, the beneficial aspects of outdoor recreation can feel out of reach for people with mobility or sensory impairments.

“We encourage people to go out in nature and have a walk and all of the good things that come along with being outside,” said Albany resident Katy Carroll. “People are going to experience that differently.”

Carroll, who is legally blind, was one of around two dozen people who participated in a sensory nature walk through the Barnum Brook Trail at Paul Smith’s College Visitor Interpretive Center (VIC). The hike was part of a larger series of accessible events for community members at the first Adirondack Nature Festival for People with Disabilities on a recent September weekend.

A walk and talk through the woods

Helene Gibbens, who helped plan the festival and is a nature therapy guide with Adirondack Riverwalking, led Carroll’s group on a forest bathing hike. The therapeutic practice originated in Japan, stemming from a concept known as “shinrin-yoku” where hikers are invited to slow down and engage each of the five basic senses.

Many of the hikers in Gibbens’ group and at the festival were people with disabilities, and other community members joined right alongside.

Gibbens said the practice of forest bathing can benefit almost anyone, but it is especially impactful for people with disabilities. She encouraged hikers to close their eyes and tune into the sounds of the forest — birdsong, the rustle of leaves and the whisper of the wind. 

“Our objective on the walk is to help connect people with nature in a more intimate way,” Gibbens said. “Because when we do, it makes us mindful.”

Along the forest path, which is Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant, Gibbens guided her group in sensory exploration, describing the sounds, smells and scenes. She pointed out birch trees stripped of their bark and invited hikers to inhale the fresh scent of balsam fir needles.

For visually impaired visitors like Carroll, Gibbens’ verbal cues make a significant difference. Carroll explained that while she comprehends the overall set of colors, shapes and textures in a forest, she cannot always comprehend the exact composition of her surroundings. She said she appreciated the enrichment provided by Gibbens’ descriptions.

“It just feels like a more connected, complete experience,” Carroll said.

Bringing nature to the table

Forest bathing was one of several activities festival volunteers used to connect people with disabilities to nature. Visitors ventured inside the VIC’s butterfly garden, tested adaptive outdoor recreation gear and painted images of natural landscapes.

Inside a small classroom, volunteer Suzanne Weirich led an immersive sensory play workshop. Pieces of the forest — fragrant greens, textured wood and edible plants — were sprawled across tables for attendees to smell, touch and taste.

At one of the stations, visitors used objects like sea shells, textured leaves and tree branches to create percussive beats. Weirich referred to this “nature music” as a way to open participants to new perspectives on the outdoors.

“It brings joy,” Weirich said. “It kind of returns you to that childhood sense of wonder and awe.”

Nature for all

Weirich said access to the outdoors is an essential part of the human experience that allows people to spiritually ground themselves. Minda Briaddy, a festival volunteer who worked in special education for over 20 years, said she understands the healing properties of nature and wants everyone to access it.

“This festival and these experiences are a way to make sure people — all people — feel included and seen and heard and cared about in the Adirondacks,” said Briaddy. “Because that’s who we are.”

Accessibility is becoming increasingly important in outdoor recreational programs, particularly in New York. In July, the Department of Environmental Conservation announced more than $5 million in accessibility upgrades across state lands. It also launched an interactive map of accessible recreation opportunities.

Nick Friedman, executive director of Accessible Adirondack Tourism, said he hopes the visibility and success of accessible events like the Adirondack Nature Festival for People with Disabilities will lead to further state investments.

“There are a lot of people who care,” Friedman said. “If our leadership knows that, then our leadership can be motivated, perhaps, to make additional changes.”

Though unsure what a future iteration would hold, Friedman said he hopes to make the festival an annual tradition.

David Escobar is a Report For America Corps Member. He reports on diversity issues in the Adirondacks through a partnership between North Country Public Radio and Adirondack Explorer.