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Abstract |
Spending time in nature and participating in outdoor activities has positive effects on the health and well-being of individuals, and nature-based tourism and outdoor recreation have the potential to provide an appropriate setting to engage in such activities (Farkic et al., 2020; Lackey et al., 2019). Even though our understanding of the benefits of nature experiences is well established, there remains unequal access to nature and nature-based activities among different groups in society. People with disabilities are often excluded from being able to fully participate in nature-based tourism and recreation due to physical and social barriers. There is therefore a need for natural areas to become more inclusive and cater to the needs of diverse groups of visitors (Menzies et al., 2020). The accommodation and adjustment of natural areas so that they become more inclusive for people with disabilities nevertheless entails some contradiction of values, especially between accessible nature-based tourism, nature conservation and the visitor experience (Corazon et al., 2019; Donlon, 2000). Increased accessibility in, as well as to, natural areas often means expanding infrastructure and improving facilities; actions which can have an impact on visitors perceptions of untouched nature and raise questions as to whether they are compatible with the objectives of nature conservation (Tverijonaite et al., 2018). However, political objectives of accessible nature for all are highly important in the context of social sustainability and social inclusion, and managers and planners of natural areas therefore have to balance these differing values in order to ensure that different interests and expectations are met. This balancing creates a moral dilemma concerning access to nature: who has access and who is excluded, and how should values be prioritised? |
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