Audubon celebrates more inclusive, accessible, and welcoming communities for long-time bird lovers, those who are just learning about the delights birds offer, and everyone in between.
Monday, October 21 marks the start of Birdability Week 2024, an annual event launched by Birdability, a nonprofit organization working to ensure the birding community and the outdoors are welcoming, inclusive, safe, and accessible for everybody through education, outreach, and advocacy. From October 21 to October 27, festivities include virtual workshops, panels, and interactive activities celebrating birders with disabilities and other health concerns.
Birdability’s mission is to share the joys of birding with people who have disabilities and to ensure birding is accessible for everybody. The nonprofit focuses on people with mobility challenges, blindness or low vision, chronic illness, intellectual or developmental disabilities, mental illness, and those who are neurodivergent, deaf or hard of hearing, or have other health concerns. In addition to reaching current birders, the organization strives to introduce birding to people with disabilities and other health concerns who are not yet birders, so they too can experience the magical world of birds.
The weeklong event is supported by the National Audubon Society and was inspired by movements toward a more inclusive birding community, including #BlackBirdersWeek, Latino Conservation Week, and Let’s Go Birding Together.
Event schedule, information, and registration links found at https://www.birdability.org/events/birdability-week-2024.
Find free online resources at Birdability.org on leading an accessible bird outing, learning about inclusive language, and actions organizations can take to be more inclusive. This site also provides the Birdability Map, a crowd-sourced map of accessible birding locations, with details of each location’s accessibility features to help birders with disabilities find birding spots that accommodate their needs.
Sign up for the Birdability newsletter and follow the organization on Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) @birdability to stay up to date on events and resources.
In its second year, the annual event offers opportunity to share resources and ideas to help the birding community be more accessible, inclusive, and welcoming to “everybody and every body.”
Virginia Rose found her passion for birds—and a new purpose in life—from the seat of her wheelchair. With Birdability, she's working to bring birding's benefits to others like her.
It's easy to create a friendly and encouraging birding community when you keep these pointers in mind.
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