University of Iowa researchers mapping accessible parks in Iowa

University of Iowa researchers are putting together a statewide interactive map that will pinpoint public parks and recreational spaces that are accessible to people with disabilities.

Travis Kraus, a UI associate professor and director of the Iowa Initiative for Sustainable Communities, and his team are asking the public to help populate the database by filling out the team’s survey.

Kraus said the survey uses Esri software, which allows the person filling out the survey to pinpoint a specific spot in a park that is accessible.

The survey has been open to the public since mid-December. It will not “close,” meaning people can continue adding accessible recreational spaces.

In addition to public parks and recreational spaces, the researchers are also accepting “cultural space” recommendations from the public. That category includes museums, galleries, theaters and amphitheaters.

Once someone submits a park or location that is accessible, the researchers fact-check the accessibility to ensure accuracy.

Ashley Utt is the executive director of the nonprofit Pathfinders Resource Conservation and Development, or Pathfinders RC&D, the main sponsor of the database project.

Utt has seen the ways that inaccessible parks, cultural sites and tourist destinations can limit where people go.

Families traveling with a family member in a wheelchair, for example, can’t go to some tourist destinations because they are inaccessible.

“And who wants to do that?” Utt said. “You don't want to have to leave somebody out because somebody is not able to do something.”

The interactive map, Utt said, is one step closer to an Iowa that is “built for everyone.”

Kraus said the project was initially the brainchild of Pathfinders but “caught their eye,” leading the UI to begin working with the nonprofit in July.

“Pathfinders had been doing a little bit of this work, and we have the expertise and the enthusiasm among students to really take it to another level, and that was Pathfinders’ goal as well,” Kraus said. “It was their goal of wanting to do this, and our ability to bring additional capacity and new ideas to the table to help move this project forward.”

What makes a public space accessible?

Creating more accessible and inclusive outdoor spaces can be as simple as paving some walking paths, inclusive parking, adding ramps, building additional restrooms and including adult changing stations in restrooms.

In March, Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds approved a study that directed the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to research ways to improve access to state parks for disabled Iowans.

“It’s hard to imagine a better way to experience the natural beauty Iowa has to offer than by making a trip to one of our many outstanding state parks,” Reynolds said when she approved the study. “Every Iowan, regardless of physical ability, should have the opportunity to experience them firsthand.”

Reynolds approved the study after a 2023 report by a former DNR official stated that Iowa’s state parks need an estimated $100 million in infrastructure repairs.

In his report, David Downing’s found that most of Iowa’s 69 state parks do not have accessible restrooms, shelters and cabins. The report also noted park buildings with leaking roofs and rotting shelters.

Jessica Monday, a UI graduate student in public affairs, has been working on the mapping project with Kraus, researching studies of accessibility within parks and cultural sites.

“Quite often we live in a world where the able-bodied are often in charge, and we have the privilege of not having to think about certain amenities that would really benefit people with disabilities,” Monday said.

“When I was doing my research, I would have never thought about including adult changing stations in bathrooms, but that is something that people have requested. ... We need to give people a voice, while also increasing general knowledge of what people need.”

Olivia Cohen covers energy and environment for The Gazette and is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.

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