accessibility

Birding for all bodies: Announcing our new electric-powered wheelchair!

“Let’s go birding!” It sounds so fun, so easy! And for many people it is, yet for others who face mobility challenges, that phrase is fraught with unknowns.

At Badgerland Bird Alliance, we feel a need and desire to facilitate ANYONE who wants to enjoy birds to be able to do so. We are excited to offer a tool to help alleviate some of the mobility-related concerns: our new electric wheelchair, made for outdoor use!

Photo by Kaitlin Svabek / Badgerland Bird Alliance

Assisting Visually Impaired Birders

It was back in October when my friend Dorothy called me about seeing birds in her backyard. Or rather, not seeing them. She had trouble seeing the birds due to aging eyes and Macular Degeneration, a frustrating and usually debilitating visual impairment that millions of elderly experience. Dorothy is in her mid-90’s and, incredibly, still living independently (with assistance from her aides and the Wisconsin Council for the Blind and Visually Impaired). As it happens, Dorothy is also Madison Audubon’s longest-standing member and an avid bird-watcher… that is, until her eye-sight started to fail.

Photo by Monica Hall