Inclusive Practices in Environmental Learning for Students with Disabilities: What are Environmental Learning Organizations Doing?

Abstract

As societal priorities and norms shift towards establishing healthy and reciprocal relationships with the natural world, there is an increased need for environmental learning (EL) to be more inclusive of students with disabilities. Nationwide, students have the opportunity to participate in experiential learning activities at unique outdoor locations––also known as environmental learning––however, historically, these locations and activities have not been designed with all learners in mind. This mixed methods study included 80 staff members from 69 EL Organizations throughout the U.S. that provide field-trip based programming for school-age youth. Quantitative survey results showed that over 85% of the EL Organizations surveyed provided field-trip programs that staff considered to be accessible, to some degree, for students with disabilities. However, the qualitative responses varied broadly in terms of what staff reported as inclusive initiatives; that is, some organizations had limited accessibility accommodations while other organizations had fully-integrated inclusion. The accessibility initiatives identified through this study highlight what current EL organizations are doing to increase the inclusivity of their field-trip based programming. The findings from this study confirm three takeaways: 1) there is a residual foundation of ableist ideologies within the field of EL, 2) federal legislation targeting public education has begun to impact instructional practices within the field of EL, and 3) there is a positive impact on full organizational buy-in to establish sustainable systematic changes within educational-based organizations.