Nature without Barriers

Experiencing nature for people with disabilities and tourism for all is an important issue in the EU. National parks, nature reserves and other places for nature experiences are starting to implement such offers. There is often a lack of guidelines to assess local conditions and enable decision-makers to start implementing relevant changes. A good catalogue of nature education activities for environmental educators is still lacking. The German Federation of the Blind and Partially Sighted (DBSV) has developed guidelines for nature trails and other facilities. Partners of environmental education organizations from Germany, Poland, Austria and Hungary, who are active in this project in European lake regions, also gathered expertise on some aspects of this topic. Together we want to bring existing experiences into the project, expand our own knowledge and pass it on to others.

Project objectives

The main objective of the project is to improve adult education in the field of experiencing nature. To this end, educational materials will be developed, tested and disseminated to help promote the skills of environmental education professionals in relation to people with disabilities. Guidelines will be developed on two important issues:

How can environmental educators improve their offer of guided nature experiences for people with disabilities?
How can nature trails be prepared and/or changed for the unaccompanied use of people with disabilities?

The developed material also enables the setting of personal educational goals and the measurement of success by means of appropriate checklists. All material will be freely accessible. Concrete examples of work with people with disabilities in the field of nature conservation/experience will be developed: barrier-free brochures, audio guides, 3D material, films in simple language and sign language.

The focus will be on nature conservation centers in the participating countries Poland, Hungary, Germany and Austria as well as areas of special interest for nature conservation.

With this project we want to promote the integration of people with disabilities in the EU and promote sensitivity for nature for all Europeans. We want to give impulses for the experience of nature to people with disabilities.

Project measures

Various results will be developed during the course of the project. Project meetings offer the opportunity to exchange views on general management issues, but also to gain an insight into the situation and implementation of the measures in the respective countries. Through a close and active cooperation in four European countries we want to achieve the following:

Creation of a guide on general nature education practices for people with disabilities, which will be available in all project languages for experts in guided nature education/experience. The guide also offers the opportunity to develop concrete pedagogical goals.
Provision of a comprehensive self-check tool with a clear matrix for the appropriate adaptation of educational elements in nature conservation centers and other nature education institutions (unguided nature experience – to enable autonomous use by people with disabilities).
Provision of a practical educational guide to overcome the accessibility of the site and the communication barriers with concrete examples (for unguided nature experience).
Creation of concrete examples for teaching material in each country (e.g. brochure, redesign of a nature trail, audio guide, D3 material, etc.).
Extension/acquisition by nature educators of special skills in working with people with disabilities.