On 11 May 2021 the National Outdoors for All Working Group (NOfAWG) released a report highlighting the inequalities that certain communities face when accessing parks and natural spaces near to where they live. Developed by a group of 23 charities and organisations – including Disability Rights UK, the ‘Out of Bounds: Equity in Access to Urban Nature’ report has found that, while people from all walks of life value and see the importance of regular access to nature, not all places and spaces are equal in what they can offer local communities. The purpose of the report is to examine the evidence on which groups use parks and greenspaces the most, and highlight the barriers that prevent people living in deprived areas, older people, Disabled people, and people from black and minority ethnic communities from accessing their local outdoor provision.
In addition to contributing to the report, the Get Yourself Active team collated some personal stories and case studies of where Disabled people and people with long-term health conditions have encountered barriers to accessing their local green spaces and have successfully challenged, or worked with organisations to overcome them. See the Get Yourself Active “Stories” page for more details and to read the case study stories; a new story will be released to the website each week.