Accessible Community Design to Support Physical Activity and Outdoor Recreation for People of All Ages and Abilities

March 30, 2023 | Ann Abraham, Claire Pendergrast

Physical activity is one of the most important ways people of all ages and abilities can improve their health. Physical activity not only improves mobility, but can reduce the risk of moderate or severe functional limitations among older adults and people with disabilities. It improves aspects of cognitive function, supports positive mental health, improves quality of sleep, reduces risk of falls and fall-related injuries, and reduces risk of serious illnesses such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and depression.

However, nearly half of all adults with a mobility disability get no leisure time aerobic physical activity. Research published in 2016 additionally concluded that 28% of U.S. adults 50 years or older were physically inactive, and that inactivity rates were 30% higher among those with a chronic disease.

Community design strategies that increase the availability of safe and accessible outdoor spaces create more physical activity opportunities for people of all abilities by creating or changing environmental characteristics in a community. For example, infrastructure improvements to parks, trails, and greenways—when combined with other interventions—can increase the number of people engaging in moderate to vigorous physical activity.

Benefits of outdoor recreation and physical activity include:

• Improved physical health: Physical activity decreases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and cancer. Physically inactive adults with disabilities are 50% more likely than those who are physically active to develop such diseases. Additionally, physical activity among children and older adults is a preventive factor against several conditions, such as vitamin D deficiency, multiple sclerosis, osteoporosis, and myopia. For those experiencing chronic pain as a symptom of a particular disability, exercise can also reduce symptoms by easing inflammation and increasing the production of pain-relieving chemical messengers.
• Improved mental and emotional health: People with disabilities face unique challenges and stressors rooted in ableism and social exclusion, which place them at increased risk for depression. Time spent experiencing nature and the outdoors poses an opportunity to improve mood and reduce signs of depression in the brain for people of all ages and abilities.
• Increased social connectedness and inclusion: Outdoor spaces that incorporate elements of nature and play can facilitate improved social connectedness and self-esteem, both for those with and without disabilities.

Older adults and people with disabilities may face barriers to outdoor recreation due to inaccessible features of the built environment in their communities. For example, people with disabilities report fewer neighborhood environmental supports (e.g., sidewalks, public transit) and more barriers to physical activity (e.g., traffic) than those without disabilities.

To address these barriers and increase opportunities for outdoor recreation and physical activity for people of all abilities, states can support healthy community design policies and programs that prioritize inclusivity and accessibility. This requires collaboration across sectors and a commitment to community engagement in built environment programming and planning phases, including people of all ages and abilities.

Various federal, state, and local partners—including in the parks, recreation, and planning sectors—have a role to play in creating inclusive and accessible outdoor spaces such as playgrounds, parks, and trails. Accessible community design is also required by law in many circumstances under the Americans with Disabilities Act, which details accessibility standards for outdoor developed areas, play areas, and other outdoor facilities and built environment features.

Healthy and Accessible Community Design Strategies to Support Increased Physical Activity

Accessible playgrounds and trails are two examples of community design strategies to increase opportunities for physical activity for people of all abilities.

Accessible Playgrounds

Playgrounds provide opportunities for children to play will their peers, an activity that benefits children's cognitive, physical, and social development and emotional well-being. Inclusive playground designs remove physical and social barriers to play and provide an environment where all children can play together using the same equipment. While new playground construction and modification are now required to comply with the 2010 Americans with Disabilities Act Standards for Accessible Design, many playground designs still result in inequitable access to play for children with disabilities.

Several states have proposed legislation to increase playground accessibility. For example, New York state introduced S 1827—requiring at least one handicap accessible swing set in each state park—and S 1829, which establishes a grant program to allow municipalities to get funding for the construction of handicap accessible playground equipment. which allows grants to be awarded to municipalities to fund handicap accessible playground equipment. New Hampshire introduced HB 467 which requires public playgrounds to have solid rubber or rubber composite surfacing for accessibility. Hawaii introduced HB 1414, which requires all playgrounds located in state and county parks and on public school grounds to include special needs recreational playground equipment and establishes a special needs recreational playground equipment fund.

Accessible Trails

Trails offer safe and inexpensive spaces for physical activity, active transportation, social connection, and time in nature, all of which offer multiple health benefits to people of all ages and abilities. Planning for accessibility in trail design, construction, programming, and maintenance is key to providing inclusive recreation experiences for trail users of all abilities. Walking is the most common and preferred physical activity for older adults. Increasing trail accessibility to make physical activity safe and easy for people with mobility limitations would be especially beneficial for this age group. A wealth of resources and guidance are available to inform the design, construction, and maintenance of accessible outdoor infrastructure.

Several states have proposed legislation focused on increasing access to accessible trails. Vermont introduced H.85, requiring at least 10% of each newly constructed trail using state funds or on state lands to be accessible to individuals with physical disabilities, and requiring that accessible trail buildouts adhere to USDA Forest Service Trail Accessibility Guidelines. Massachusetts introduced S 446, directing the Department of Fish and Game to maximize access to trails, outdoor spaces, and outdoor recreation for people of all abilities, as well as establishing a Trail Access Working Group tasked to review current access for people with disabilities, review best practices, and report on their findings to the governor. Finally, New York state introduced S 254, requiring the development of a senior trail guide to identify low-impact and accessible public trails for older adults.

ASTHO Looks Ahead

States have many opportunities to support healthy and inclusive community design and expand access to outdoor recreation for people of all ages and abilities. Collaborating across sectors and engaging communities in planning and decision-making processes are essential public health strategies for advancing healthy community design. Overall, expanded policy and programmatic efforts to increase accessibility in the built environment, including playgrounds, trails, and other outdoor spaces, are needed to increase physical activity and improve public health for all communities.