Case Study
Recreation for everyone
Designing for disability access on federal outdoor websites
The client
General Services Administration (GSA) – 10x Program
In partnership with the United States Forest Service (USFS) and the National Accessibility Program
Challenge
Outdoor recreation websites for federal lands often lack the detailed accessibility information needed by disabled visitors to confidently plan trips. Basic statements like “ADA compliant” offer little real-world guidance, leaving many to rely on inconsistent crowdsourced alternatives. This content gap creates barriers for millions of Americans seeking equitable access to national forests, trails, and campgrounds.
Our approach
Flexion worked with the USFS National Accessibility Program Manager to lead a research-driven initiative under the GSA 10x program. We conducted 27 lived-experience interviews with individuals with disabilities, caregivers, and accessibility advocates to understand how they plan trips and what information is missing from public websites.
The insights shaped the creation of the Accessible Recreation Content (ARC) Checklist—a practical, repeatable tool for reviewing and improving accessibility-related content on federal recreation websites. Unlike tools focused on physical infrastructure or web compliance, the ARC Checklist helps land managers enhance narrative content—e.g., restroom descriptions, trail slope details, sensory experience previews, and available adaptive equipment.
Outcomes
Flexion developed a standardized content checklist to improve how information about forests and trails communicates accessibility information online, addressing real user needs and advancing federal priorities for equitable access to public lands.
- This standardized content checklist for outdoor accessibility info is now used by the USFS to evaluate and improve forest and trail web content
- We addressed gaps identified by real users, including a lack of detailed maps, social stories for neurodivergent users, tactile map locations, and restroom specifications
- We supported administration priorities around equitable outdoor access, aligning with the America the Beautiful initiative, ADA, and Section 508 goals
- The Flexion team set a baseline for impact measurement: The ARC Checklist was piloted on the Hoosier National Forest and Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest websites to support future accessibility audits and improvements
Flexion’s work directly supports the mission of making public lands more inclusive. By elevating the voices of disabled outdoor enthusiasts and translating their needs into actionable website content improvements, this project offers a scalable model for equity-centered digital service design across recreation agencies at the federal, state, and local levels.
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