Disabled Hikers

04/22/2026

Happy Earth Day! Today can be filled with ableist comments, campaigns that leave out Disabled people, and climate "solutions" that would prefer we don't exist.

Disabled people are a frontline community in the effects of climate change. Our use of plastics, inhalers, electricity, paved paths, and whatever else people like to blame are not issue. The issue is 500+ years of settler colonialism and capitalism.

It is true that we all have an impact on the environment - and that having an "impact" is not necessarily a bad thing. The problem is that some impacts are normalized and socially acceptable, while others aren't, and those that aren't are made to be scapegoats.

But Disabled people are a part nature too. We are not your scapegoats, or your convenient inspiration to pat yourself on the back about, nor are we disposable. It is past time for the outdoor, environmental, and conservation movements to listen to us. Disabled folks not only bear the effects of climate change, but have a lot to offer as we adapt to a increasingly disabled environments.

ID: Text reads Disabled people belong in environmentalism. Background photo of a redwood tree next to a lake with hills in the background.

04/20/2026

Spring has sprung! If you're planning some new accessible adventures, don't forget about our books and trail guides!

You can get The Disabled Hiker's Guide to Western Washington and Oregon, and The Disabled Hiker's Guide to Northern California, from our website or anywhere else you like to get books, including your local library!

The WA and OR book includes places west of the Cascades in both states. The guides are 4-5 years old so some conditions have changed but its still a great planning resource. The NorCal book covers from Monterey Bay north to state line. Both books feature wheelchair accessible, wheelchair hikeable, and foot trails as well as scenic drives and viewpoints so you can select what is best for you! Both books were written by Syren, who personally hiked and assessed every trail.

You belong outdoors and we hope these guides help you get out there!

04/17/2026

Although it is important to address physical barriers and lack of access, the outdoors won't trulybe a safe and inclusive space if we do not also address ableism and long-held assumptions about disability. We could build accessible trails in every
park- but we must also move away from the idea that the most valid way of being outdoors is the
individual "conquering" nature, and instead move into respecting the variety of ways that people
engage with nature and recognize that this provides an opportunity to reflect on interdependence and
the relationship between our bodies, the environment, and each other."

From "Conservation, Eco-Ableism, and Reclaiming
Limitation" by Syren Nagakyrie, Founder of
Disabled Hikers

ID: above quote across three slides, each with a background photo of mountains in shadow, backlit by the sun

04/14/2026

The current dictatorship-in-waiting (its not an administration) proposed repealing the Roadless Rule last year. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced the upcoming release of the draft environmental impact statement. Once the impact statement is released, there will be another public comment period.

The Roadless Rule is a federal regulation that protects over 45 million acres of National Forest lands, primarily in the west, from road construction and resource extraction. It is conserves habitat, provides recreation, protects climate change mitigation, reduces fire risks, and respects Indigenous land rights.

Unfortunately, there are some politicians who use disability as a scapegoat to push their anti-public (stolen) lands agenda. And that has filtered through into some public discourse.

Rescinding the roadless rule will not make wilderness more accessible to all and definitely will not improve disability access to forest lands. In fact, it will likely further limit access. If roads are built, they will be used for logging and resource extraction. These roads are not suitable for mobility aid use or for standard vehicles.

Even if publicly accessible roads are built, that does not mean these areas will become more accessible. The administration is certainly not funding accessibility improvements, and much of roadless areas are extremely rugged terrain.

Roads can also increase fire activity, a climate issue that significantly impacts disabled people. Studies show that roads do not improve forest health through increased fire management, and there are already exceptions for emergency road access for fire response.

Stay tuned for the public comment period to make your opinion known!

ID: rescinding the roadless rule will not make wilderness more accessible. Background photo of a narrow muddy trail through a temperate rainforest with big trees. A log bench is on the lower left.

04/08/2026

I hear from many disabled, chronically ill, and neurodivergent folx who want to be active in creating a better world, but are feeling overwhelmed, unsure of where to begin, and are just struggling to survive. First and foremost - that is okay. If all you can do right now is keep going, especially when the system is actively harming you, that is resistance.

But there are also so many ways to make a difference right now, and I encourage everyone to really examine what that might look like for you. My two main tips are 1) find your role, 2) find your thing.

Activism doesn't only look like being on the frontlines, organizing actions, or sharing on social media. We need administrators, researchers, mutual aid organizers, dreamers, cooks, child and pet care, and more.

What do friends and family come to you for? What do you enjoy doing? What do you do daily that can help others - are your organizing doctor appointments or researching medical treatments? Those are valuable skills!

There are many frameworks out there to help you identify your role in the movement. I particularly like one by AJ Hawkins of Kalma, based in an ecosystem theory of composting the old world - its in stories.

Then, pick your "thing" - what do you want to work on? People with more privilege, energy, and access can pick 3 things, but 1 or 2 is great if that's your capacity.

Ask what is your responsibility to address? What is in your power to change? What inspires you to act? What do you care most about? What is most in need of support?

There can be a lot of pressure and shaming (esp on social media) to respond to and act on everything. That's not realistic nor is it effective. That just divides and scatters us, so no one is able to commit to anything, and we all burn out. We have to trust that while you're working on your thing others are working on theirs, and support each other.

Your role and your thing can shift. Its good to be flexible and adaptive. The most important thing is just finding something to commit to. Its also helps you feel more in control. Activism is self care!

What's your role or thing?

ID below, alt text embedded

04/07/2026

Disabled Hikers creates accessible trail guides to remove barriers and help you enjoy the outdoors with more confidence. There are dozens of guides on the website and two published guidebooks covering western Washington, western Oregon, northern California, and the greater Boise area. We are excited to publish more guides this year!

Did you know that each trail guide on the website takes over 15 hours to complete? The book guides take 20-30 hours each. A lot of work goes into creating these resources! Here is a brief overview of the process for anyone who has wondered what goes into it.

1) Research! We spend 3-5 hours researching each trail, scouring guides, blogs, websites, apps, and more. This is necessary to determine if it is accessible for our needs as well as others, and to plan for the hike.

2) Hike! When possible, we hike a trail at least once before completing an assessment. This scouting trip helps identify barriers and get a sense of the trail.

3) Assess! Completing a trail assessment takes 2-3 times longer than just hiking the trail. We take measurements, photos, voice recordings, and written notes of the entire hike.

4) Compile! All of the data, photos, and notes get compiled and edited. The voice recording gets transcribed and edited, which takes at least as long as the recording itself.

5) Write! Once transcribed and compiled, we have to take all of that information and turn it into a comprehensive and understandable narrative. Each guide averages 1,000+ words and provides a full description of the trail. We determine a rating based on the Disabled Hikers Spoon Rating System. We also break out certain features and provide an overview of the accessibility, amenities, etc.

6) Publish! We then format the guide for publication, upload photos, create maps, and publish it on the website. There are many additional steps for the guidebooks.

There is also traveling to/from the trail to consider, and time to promote the guides. This is why we need support to create these resources! That includes donations, sponsorships, sharing, reviews, and more - it all helps! Thanks for your support!

ID: text on a background photo reads what are Disabled Hikers trail guides and how are they created? Photo of a boardwalk over an alpine wetland, with evergreen trees in the background.

04/02/2026

Today is World Autism Awareness Day. Awareness of autistic people isn't enough (and actually, I would prefer not to be perceived please and thank you 😂) (that's an inside neurodivergent joke).

In all seriousness, awareness campaigns led by allistics (non-autistics) and institutions do a lot of harm. One example is Autism Speaks (AS). AS is not community led. Their 27 member board consists of corporate representatives and wealthy donors, with only two actually autistic people. The puzzle piece branding has become synonymous with anti-autistic hate speech. AS spends 1/10th of 1% of their funding on services; the majority goes to salaries, advertising, and fundraising. Their research focuses on finding a cure for autism, not awareness and acceptance.

Autism is natural. It is a part of the beautiful diversity of human minds and experiences. Autism does not need a cure - society needs to be cured of it's ableism. We can learn to embrace difference and create spaces where all are welcome and have their needs met.

We encourage you to give to autistic led organizations such as ours, or other self advocacy orgs like Autistic Self Advocacy Network (ASAN) and Autistic Women & Nonbinary Network (AWN).

ID text on image reads autistic and proud. Neurodiversity is natural. Wide shot of a young autistic couple practicing parallel play while lounging on a picnic blanket at a lush green park. On the left, the Black woman lies on her partner’s lap, concentrating on her popsocket fidget. On the right, the non-binary Asian person reads a poetry book. Credit disabled and here

03/31/2026

March 31 is Transgender Day of Visibility. It feels especially heavy this year, but we are always celebrating trans joy, love, and resistance. Our founder is trans nonbinary, and to all of our trans and gender expansive community: we love you. Go have a snack, drink some water, and sit outside for a while. 🫶 [heart hands]

To our cisgender community, we need you fight with us. Just now, Colorado Supreme Court ruled that the state ban on conversion therapy "violated the 1st amendment rights" of a Christian pastor, allowing cinversion therapy to continue. Conversion therapy is violence. And it is just one more in an avalanche of laws and court decisions that threaten the lives of trans people. FORTY-TWO states currently have anti-trans laws, and nearly 700 additional laws are in the legislative process.

The fight for disability and trans rights are inherently intertwined. Over 50% of trans people identify as also having a disability. To be clear: being transgender is not an illness, and any comments to that effect will be blocked and deleted. But many legislators are using the ADA to target trans people. Disabled people and our civil rights are not political pawns, and the ADA should never be used to harm people. They are pitting us against each other, and we can't allow it.

The time for solidarity is long overdue. How are you supporting transgender people?

ID: text reads transgender Day of Visibility. Background photo of a trans flag with pink blue and white stripes billowing in the wind. Filtered sunlight shines through the flag.

03/30/2026

We are very excited to receive funding from the Washington State Governor Committee on Disability to create new guides for Jefferson County!

PRESS RELEASE
A Washington State committee is awarding funds totaling $30,151.96 to five Jefferson County entities to support accessibility improvements to a variety of public resources. The funding was secured thanks, in large part, to the work of volunteers collaborating with Jefferson County Public Health. The award recipients are the City of Port Townsend, Disabled Hikers, Jefferson County Historical Society, Peninsula Trails Coalition, and the Port Townsend School District.

To read the full press release, visit https://jeffersoncountypublichealth.org/m/newsflash/home/detail/1698

03/30/2026

Are you participating in our Disability is Natural Challenge? What have you noticed in nature this month? Was there something or someone that caught your attention, or a moment that made you pause?

This photo is of a deer with an amputated left rear leg just below her knee. She hangs around my neighborhood. She raised a couple of fawns then left for a while, and when she came back her lower leg was missing. She is still thriving and hangs around with the other deer who seem to watch out for her.

The Disability is Natural Challenge is meant to inspire you to notice something in nature during your daily life. It can be from your bed, the bus, on a walk, inside your body, or anywhere else! Nature is always around us and a part of us. Learn more at the lynx!

ID: text reads disability is natural. Join the challenge. Background photo of a deer with a missing leg looking towards the camera as she was taking a break from grazing on plants.

03/27/2026

Long Covid (LC) is a chronic, multi-system illness that follows a Covid infection. The symptoms can include fatigue, respiratory and cardiovascular issues, and more. LC is disabling and can make someone bedbound for weeks, months, or years. There is no cure and treatment options are limited.

There is still a lot that we don't know about Covid, Long Covid, and how it impacts the body. But the science is clear that Covid is not just a flu, or even a respiratory virus. It is immune compromising and affects multiple systems, including the heart and lungs.

1 in 4 Covid infections result in Long Covid. That means everytime you are infected, you have a 25% chance of developing LC. An estimated 400 million people globally have Long Covid. This includes children, who are at great risk - at least 5.8 million children have Long Covid.

The best prevention is still vaccination, masking, and air filtration. This public health crisis must be addressed with more research, treatment options, and access to preventative measures.

ID: Text at bottom reads 1 in 4 covid infections result in Long Covid. A teal black and gray long covid awareness ribbon is at the top right. Background photo of a person wearing a kn95 mask and a disabled hikers tshirt.

03/24/2026

We get asked to do disability simulations fairly often, and always refuse. Disability simulations are where a non-disabled person uses a wheelchair, blindfold, ear coverings, or other device to pretend to be disabled for a day. The intent is to build empathy, but it does far more harm than good.

Instead we design field experiences and feedback sessions that bring people with a variety of disabilities together with decision makers. This is far more meaningful because:

- it centers disabled people and their lived experience
- it doesn't reduce the experience of disability to adaptive equipment
- it provides a fuller experience of not only the barriers, but the ways disabled people use and move through a space
- it builds leadership, connection, and value
- it gives opportunity for conversation and feedback
- it builds empathy based on actual experiences

Disability is a culture and a way of experiencing the world. You can never understand that by pretending to be disabled for a day.

Get in touch if your park of organization is interested in creating a Disabled-led experience together!

ID: text reads why we don't do disability simulations. Photo of a group of disabled folks on a paved trail. One person using a self-propelled wheelchair, two walking with a cane, one walking unassisted.