Summary of Programs: 

Iris led 6 birding outings through Bird Days of Summer programming at the Bird Alliance of Oregon and 1 outing for a specific disability organization. They partnered with local organizations on outings including Connection Club, Drag Me Outside, Alliance Services, The Arc, and L'Arche Portland. They met with a variety of disability organizations to help inform and receive feedback on their work, in addition to exploring opportunities for future partnerships. Some of their outings were designed or reserved for specific disability identities and some were open to all participants. Iris gathered data on the experiences during these outings informally with participants and formally through survey responses.

Survey Responses: 

The responses to Iris' doctoral work were astoundingly warm and appreciative. Every single survey respondent shared that they felt the highest level of belonging during their outing. Many highlighted the importance of having inclusive outing leaders, affinity spaces for people with shared identities, and an understanding community where they did not have to explain or justify their access needs. A large number of participants had never been birding before and appreciated the welcoming, beginner-friendly atmosphere. Formal and informal feedback declared that the provided accessibility assessment contained more information than they had ever received before which supported their participation. Many of the people joining these outings were much more interested in community-building and finding accessible spaces in nature, rather than labeling the birds around us. This atmosphere differed significantly from other attended outings and shadowing experiences.

Participant Information Graphs:

A graph of the disability identities represented by outing participants who filled out the surveys.