The Importance of Accessibility and Inclusion in Citizen Science: Winter/Christmas Bird Counts for Everyone
A Birdability Accessible Winter/Christmas Bird Count(CBC) using a golf cart for access in CT during the 2023 CBC Season. Three individuals with binoculars peer at a bird from the golf cart with bare winter trees and brush behind them on a dirt road. Photo: Mike Fernandez/Audubon
For over a century, the Christmas Bird Count (CBC), or Winter Bird Count, has brought together birders and families as community scientists to count birds and contribute to one of the largest and longest-running citizen science projects in the world. Whether in the bitter cold of northern states or the mild climates of southern regions, thousands of volunteers annually gather to document bird populations and provide invaluable data that shape conservation efforts.
But for too long, these events have often overlooked one critical element: accessibility and inclusion.
Birdability is dedicated to making birding accessible to people with disabilities and other health concerns, and we are working to make local bird counts more accessible. By creating both guidance on how to host partly accessible CBC and with Birdability Captains hosting Accessible CBCs, Birdability ensures that more people can contribute to this beloved tradition and experience the joys of birding and citizen science.
Why Accessibility Matters in Citizen Science
Citizen science efforts like the CBC rely on community participation to gather data over vast geographic areas. The diversity of participants not only strengthens the science but also builds more inclusive, engaged communities. However, many birding events have historically excluded people due to physical, sensory, or other accessibility barriers. Whether it’s an inaccessible trail, a lack of rest areas, or inadequate communication of event details, these barriers send the message that citizen science is not for everyone.
This matters because people with disabilities make up approximately 26% of the U.S. population. Their voices, experiences, and contributions are essential for a more complete understanding of the natural world—and for stronger conservation outcomes.
One of the counters covering a route in Stonington, Connecticut, last year organized by Birdability, which provides tools to help make birding more inviting and accessible to people with disabilities. Photo: Mike Fernandez/Audubon
The Power of Accessible Winter Bird Counts
Birdability’s Holding a Partly Accessible CBC guide offers a roadmap for making Winter Bird Counts more inclusive. By identifying accessible routes, sharing detailed information about terrain and rest stops, and considering sensory and communication access needs, organizers can open the doors to birders who have been historically excluded.
For example, CBC organizers can:
Identify paved, level, and barrier-free trails as part of the count area.
Provide clear and descriptive information about what participants can expect, including distances, restroom availability, and terrain details.
Offer options for shorter, slower-paced routes or stationary count opportunities.
Use inclusive communication, like spoken visual descriptions and providing opportunities for participants to share their access needs.
These small but impactful changes invite people with mobility disabilities, chronic illness, neurodivergence, or sensory processing concerns to take part in a tradition they may have thought was off-limits.
More Voices, Better Science, Stronger Communities
Joey and his wife Maeve participate in three CBC circles each year. The compliers give them first preference for the areas Joey can navigate in his power wheelchair, and off they go. Inclusion is easy, if it’s a priority! Photo: Maeve Coker (from our Hosting a partly-accessible CBC document on the website)
The benefits of accessible Winter Bird Counts go beyond inclusion. By welcoming a broader range of participants, the CBC becomes a richer, more community-centered experience. People with disabilities bring diverse skills and perspectives, contributing valuable observations that may otherwise go unrecorded. For some, the connection to nature—and to the community of birders—is deeply meaningful and even healing.
As highlighted in an Audubon Magazine feature, a recent Accessible CBC showcased the transformative power of inclusive birding events. Participants expressed the joy of being part of a cherished tradition and the significance of contributing to citizen science efforts alongside their peers. For organizers, the experience underscored that accessibility doesn’t just benefit individuals—it strengthens the entire birding community.
How You Can Get Involved
Making citizen science efforts like the CBC accessible starts with awareness and action:
Organize or participate in an Accessible CBC. Birdability’s guide provides all the tools you need to create a welcoming and inclusive count.
Advocate for accessibility in your local birding community by sharing resources and starting conversations about access needs.
Submit an accessibility site review to the Birdability Map to help others find inclusive birding locations.
By prioritizing accessibility and inclusion, we can ensure that Winter Bird Counts remain vibrant, meaningful, and impactful—and that everyone, regardless of ability, can experience the joy and wonder of birding.
Birding is for everybody. Citizen science is for everybody. And when we work to include everyone, the birds—and our communities—are better for it.
