Compent, in collaboration with Fellowmind, has recently launched a new version of Udinaturen.dk in close cooperation with the Danish Nature Agency and the Knowledge Center for Disabilities. With the new version, it has become much easier to search for accessible nature experiences across the country on the website udinaturen.dk.
For individuals living with disabilities, there can be barriers that make it challenging to access and enjoy nature, even when the desire to go outdoors is strong. With the recent release of "Nature for All," a new section has been introduced on udinaturen.dk that showcases accessible locations in the Danish countryside, making it easier and more user-friendly for people with disabilities to venture into nature. Alongside this new accessibility section, the website has undergone significant updates, including WCAG 2.1 AA optimizations and usability testing involving individuals with disabilities.
On the new udinaturen.dk, users can find information about accessibility in terms of routes and facilities. For instance, they can search for routes and viewpoints without steps or stairs, accessible toilets, shelters with lifts or floor extensions, and routes with low visitor traffic. These search options were developed with input from people with disabilities and cater to the needs of individuals with physical, sensory, cognitive, and psychological disabilities. In this project, Compent collaborates with over 30 volunteer front-runners from across the country who have disabilities and a passion for nature. These front-runners inspire others with disabilities to explore nature through their personal stories and local activities.
Enhanced Accessibility through New Data and Calculation Models
Udinaturen.dk is based on the publicly accessible and open FKG database. In this project, a wide range of new fields related to accessibility has been added, which municipalities, landowners, and others can contribute to decentrally.
In addition to displaying accessibility information on routes, the new version of udinaturen.dk also allows users to see locations along a route (e.g., parking lots, accessible toilets) and view the entire course of the route as well as the gradient percentage displayed as a graph. This makes it easy to find a route that can be comfortably completed with a disability, or users can choose the section of the route that matches their needs and abilities.
The accessibility update is not just a technical upgrade; it's based on the aggregation of millions of latitude and longitude points in relation to locations – data that is processed through a series of background jobs. The website udinaturen.dk is continuously updated as data streams in from all over the country.
About the "Nature for All" Project:
The "Nature for All" project is supported by the AAGE V. JENSEN NATURFOND and the Outdoor Council's Distribution Funds. The project's steering group consists of representatives from AAGE V. JENSEN NATURFOND, Danish Disability Organizations, the Outdoor Council, the Association of Youth with Disabilities, and the Knowledge Center for Disabilities. The new features on udinaturen.dk were developed in close collaboration with the Danish Nature Agency and GeoFA under GEO Denmark.