Access Birding
in the media
Having the opportunity to share about the importance of access and inclusion, get folks excited about the different ways we can enjoy birding, and dive deep into the nuances of disability is such fun — and important — work. Check out our media appearances, below, and get in touch if you have a media request!
Podcast, print and digital appearances
2024
Meet Freya McGregor, Bold Journey, April 2024. Read about the person behind Access Birding, where her self-confidence came from, and how she developed the skills needed for the work she does. Read the article here.
Nature for everyone: People with differing abilities in the great outdoors, Outdoor America, March 2024. An overview of efforts to make hunting, fishing and birding more accessible, including quotes and input from Freya as an expert on disability access. Read the article here.
2023
Wissahickon Trails conducting accessibility improvements, The Reporter, October 30, 2023. Hear from the executive director and the conservation manager at Wissahickon Trails about why improving access to their trails matters, and working with Freya at Access Birding. Read the article here.
A self-described ‘disabled birder’ hiked into Montco to help make the trails better for everyone, The Philadelphia Inquirer, October 11, 2023. Come out with Freya McGregor on a trails assessment with a community consultant and staff from Wissahickon Trails in southeast Pennsylvania. If you have a subscription to The Philadelphia Inquirer, read the article here.
Seven disability advocates talk about accessibility and ableism outdoors, The Wilderness Society, September 18, 2023. Disabled nature lovers — including Freya McGregor, a Joseph Saunders, a Black wheelchair user and photographer, and Syren Nagakyrie who founded Disabled hikers — share their experiences and recommendations. Read the article here.
Exploring how to make birding accessible for everyone, Assembling Inclusion podcast, episode 50, September 4, 2023. Hosted by special educator Dr Katie Nieves Licwinko, this podcast celebrates inclusion in everyday life. Listen to the episode here.
Avian accessibility for all: Meet Freya McGregor, Bird Buddy Tales, August 28, 2023. A personal conversation about growing up, early influences and how Freya found this niche for herself at the intersection of disability and birding. Read the article here.
‘Birds are my eyesight’, The New York Times, August 3, 2023. In a thought-provoking article about birding for folks who are blind or have low vision, Freya McGregor is referenced as the person who originated the effort to redefine ‘birding’ to make it more inclusive for people who don’t necessarily birdwatch. Read the article here.
Access Birding with Freya McGregor, The Birdy Bunch Podcast, episode 4.02, July 31, 2023. Freya joins her dear friend and host of The Birdy Bunch, CJ Greco, to celebrate Disability Pride Month, the importance of birding friendships, and Magnolia Warblers. Listen to the episode here.
Birding with vision loss, Hadley Presents: A Conversation with the Experts, March 30, 2023. Hadley is a nonprofit organization providing free workshops, learning opportunities and community for adults who are blind or have low vision. In this episode, leaning on her occupational therapy clinical background in blindness and low vision services, and what she has learned from birding with folks who are blind or have low vision, Freya shares tips and encouragement that you don’t need to see birds to enjoy them. Listen to the episode here.
All Bodies Outside podcast, episode #35, March 30, 2023. Hosted by Dr Brian Peterson, this broad conversation covers topics like what birding is (and isn’t), why birding is such an inherently modifiable activity and so has the potential to be accessible for people with different disabilities, and common barriers to access disabled folks encounter in the outdoors. Listen (and watch!) here.
Birding for All: How to make enjoying birds more accessible, in the Center for Biological Diversity’s The Revelator magazine. January 5, 2023. Read the article here.
2022
Birding as a therapeutic tool for all children with Freya McGregor, Therapy in the Great Outdoors podcast, episode 18, December 16 2022. This podcast, hosted by Dr Laura Park Figueroa, is for pediatric occupational therapists, physical therapists and speech and language therapists working to take their therapy sessions outside. Freya discusses easy strategies for incorporating birds and birding into nature-based therapy sessions with kids. Listen to the episode here.
Talkin’ Birds show #913, December 11, 2022. Freya joins host Ray Brown to launch Access Birding, LLC on Talkin’ Birds, the podcast and radio show about birds and conservation she’s worked for since 2019. Listen to the show here.