Help A Field Guide to Accessible Birding in the US

Birding is such a wonderful activity -- it captures our awe, it gets us outside, it makes us happier, it sparks creativity, and it helps us connect with others. It is also inherently modifiable -- you can enjoy birds from a trail, by car, on a bench or at a bird blind, by sight or by sound -- and so has the potential to be a great hobby for people with disabilities. Unfortunately, for the 1 in 4 Americans with a disability (according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), it can be really challenging to know where we can successfully go birding.

I'm trying to change that.

Hi, I'm Freya McGregor, a disabled birder, an occupational therapist, consultant, researcher and writer working at the intersection of disability, birding, inclusion and access. I'm in the middle of writing the first ever bird-finding guide by a disabled birder for disabled birders, which will be published by Princeton University Press.

This work, and a book like this, became really important to me in May 2019 when, out of nowhere, my right knee went 'dodgy', and I suddenly couldn't walk more than 0.25 miles without significant pain and swelling. Gone was the ability to hike where ever I wanted to see birds; I needed to know how many benches were available to rest on, or if there were canoes to rent so I could enjoy birds using my arms (not my legs) to get me around. But there was nowhere to find this information! It was trial and error showing up at different places, and it got pretty frustrating.

This book, which I hope will reduce some of those frustrations for others, is tentatively titled A Field Guide to Accessible Birding in the United States, will feature two or more birding locations in each state in the continental US that have either:

AND

In order to provide accurate, reliable and detailed accessibility information for readers, I need to visit all of these places in-person, because very, very little of this information is available any other way.

I received my book advance when I signed the contract at the end of 2022. Most authors get to keep this to compensate them for the time, energy and expertise used writing their book. Mine was spent entirely on travel expenses, and unfortunately, it's all gone. But I haven't finished yet!

I spent three months of 2023 on the road (unpaid), and only have 17 more states to visit. Unfortunately, I can't afford to fund those trips myself. That's why I need your help!

I'm doing my best to save money every way I can by:

By supporting this project, you'll be part of helping establish the necessary level of detail requested by disabled birders in bird-finding guides -- no longer will the wheelchair icon be enough...! Your support will help me finish this epic project.

This book is written first and foremost for birders whose access needs are not always met in outdoor spaces, including people who have mobility disabilities, chronic illnesses that cause pain and fatigue, neurodivergent folks with sensory sensitivities, and people who are blind or have low vision, as well as anyone who has turned up at a birding location only to find that the bathrooms are not open yet, but they didn't know that ahead of time...! But like access improvements, I suspect more people will appreciate this book:

You can follow along with my progress on Instagram @the.ot.birder -- while on book research trips, I post photos to Stories every day. My website , too, has more information about this book and my other work, and I will be sharing updates after upcoming book research trips here on the GoFundMe platform for all supporters.

If you're unable to financially support this, please consider sharing it via social media or through other avenues -- even if your people aren't able to financially support this either, it may help them know about this book in case they're interested once it's published!

Thank you -- truly -- and happy birding!

Freya