Evaluating Accessibility in Outdoor Recreation Planning within Wisconsin County Plans
Conservation and Community Planning Hannah Kovalaske (Not Pictured)
Julia Lindley (Not Pictured) Conservation and Community Planning
Elle Vandenelzen Conservation and Community Planning
Gavin Goetz Conservation and Community Planning
Brooke Miller Conservation and Community Planning
Liam Kaplan (Not Pictured) Conservation and Community Planning
Lola Gay (Not Pictured) Conservation and Community Planning
Mason Johnson (Not Pictured) Conservation and Community Planning
Hannah Lietz (Not Pictured) Conservation and Community Planning
More Americans are participating in outdoor recreation than ever, with a record 175.8 million Americans participating in outdoor recreation in 2023, according to the 2024 Outdoor Participation Trends Report. Ac- cording to the U.S. Census Bureau, 44.1 million Americans live with a disability. As the outdoor recreation industry grows, it is important to consider barriers to outdoor recreation access for people with disabilities. Previous research shows that lower levels of government (county, local) lag in updating ADA planning. At the Wisconsin county level, it is unclear how accessibility is incorporated into outdoor recreation planning. The purpose of this study is to examine if accessibility is mentioned in county plans, and if so, to what ex- tent. We selected county plans from 7 regions within Wisconsin and systematically evaluated these plans for accessibility using an appraisal tool created by researchers to evaluate ADA Transition Plans. Plans included 6 outdoor recreation plans, and one county comprehensive plan. The study is ongoing, although we expect findings to demonstrate a lack of accessibility in outdoor recreation planning at the county level in Wiscon - sin. This study aims to establish a baseline for how county planning in Wisconsin addresses accessibility issues in the outdoor recreation sphere.
Advisors: Austin Holland, Ph.D.
Subject Area: Conservation and Community Planning
Type: Poster
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UW-Stevens Point College of Natural Resources
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