The Inaccessible Nature of Accessible Nature - How the Concepts of Behavioural Settings and Affordances Can Support the Design Process of Physically and Socially Inclusive Natural Environments with a Potential Health- Promoting Effect for People with Mobility Disabilities

Research has confirmed that natural environments can offer many health benefits. However, a large group in society, people with mobility disabilities, are often hindered from gaining these benefits. Enhancing physical accessibility to natural environments is important, but in our opinion, not enough. This position paper addresses the importance of incorporating social inclusiveness in accessibility solutions in natural environments. We present a framework based on theories on affordances and behaviour settings that can guide the design process of inclusive, accessible, natural, and health-promoting environments for people with mobility disabilities. The development of the framework is based on quantitative and qualitative results achieved from a several-year-long research project concerning the design and use of a forest trail for people with mobility disabilities. The framework allows for the integration of two key opposing factors: naturalness and accessibility. The framework also integrates the important and often overlooked factor of social inclusion when designing health-promoting natural environments. Landscape architects must understand their project sites as not only physical spaces, but also as social and emotional spaces. Implementing this framework can support our endeavours to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals and the Leave No One Behind agenda.