Fostering Equity and Access in Recreation
Andy Beichler & Michael J. Bradley
Introduction
Recreation plays a vital role in supporting physical and mental health, yet social and economic barriers often prevent equal access for all. This disparity highlights the need for fair and thoughtful approaches in the recreation profession. By ensuring that recreation opportunities reflect and respond to the needs of a broad range of community members, practitioners can not only improve health outcomes but also build a stronger, more resilient industry. This blog explores how recreation providers can create more welcoming environments by evaluating their internal practices and community connections.
Why Fairness and Representation Matter in Recreation
Recreation enhances quality of life—reducing stress, improving mood, fostering social connections, and building physical fitness. But access to these benefits is not equally distributed. Historical injustices, socio-economic challenges, and uneven access to resources have resulted in programs and spaces that may not be welcoming to or reflective of all members of the community. Making intentional efforts to serve a wide range of individuals is essential for ensuring everyone can benefit.
Internal Practices: Workforce and Organizational Culture
Fairness begins within. Recreation organizations must evaluate how they recruit, hire, train, and support staff. Bringing in employees from varied backgrounds helps ensure that programs reflect the experiences and interests of the broader public. Even small departments can take meaningful steps to examine their policies and ensure they provide a supportive environment where all staff have the opportunity to succeed. Wages are also a concern. Recreation workers earn a median annual salary of $34,410—nearly $14,000 below the national average (Harrison et al., 2022). Low pay can limit who can afford to enter or remain in the profession, creating unintentional barriers for those from working-class or historically underserved communities. Addressing compensation gaps is a crucial step toward attracting and retaining staff who bring valuable perspectives and experiences.
Reaching More People: Participation and Program Access
Having staff who reflect a variety of life experiences can help attract a wider group of participants. When people see themselves represented in staff roles, they are more likely to feel welcome and supported. Currently, nearly 70% of outdoor recreation participants are white (Outdoor Industry Association, 2024). Recreation providers can help change that by offering programs designed with different cultural preferences, removing language barriers, and working with local groups to connect with residents who may not feel that these programs are “for them.”
Public agencies have a responsibility to serve all community members. Research by Moore et al. (2008) shows that neighborhoods with more Black, Hispanic, and low-income residents often have fewer parks and recreational opportunities. To address these gaps, agencies should invest in underserved areas, listen to community voices in planning efforts, and work to eliminate systemic obstacles to participation.
Welcoming People with Disabilities
Ensuring that people with disabilities can participate fully in recreation is equally important. Whether mobility-related, sensory-based, or cognitive in nature, these challenges should not be barriers to experiencing the benefits of outdoor play, leisure, and connection. However, only one-third of individuals with disabilities take part in leisure activities, compared to 50% of the general population (National Center for Health Statistics, 2010). Meeting this need requires thoughtful facility design, adaptive programs, and staff training.
Private Recreation Providers: Why This Matters for Business
Recreation providers in the private sector also benefit from reaching a broader customer base. Making programs and services appealing and accessible to more people isn’t just the right thing to do—it’s good business. For example, tennis participation among African American players rose 46% from 2019 to 2021 (USTA, 2023). This shows that when companies make an effort to remove barriers and extend a genuine welcome, participation grows.
A Call to Action: Expanding the Circle
Creating a more open and responsive recreation environment requires more than a one-time effort—it’s an ongoing process. Recreation professionals should consistently ask: Who is not showing up? Why? What can we do to better serve them? By building programs, policies, and outreach strategies that welcome a broader mix of people, agencies and organizations make recreation stronger for everyone. They also expand the base of support needed to protect parks, programs, and public resources from future challenges. When more voices feel ownership of these spaces, the community—and the profession—becomes more resilient.
References
Harrison, D.L., Scruggs, C.J., Hendrick, M.L., Caraway, J.K., Morales, B., Jones, J.M. Kane, B.J., Perkins, I.M., & Zajchowski, C.A.B. (2022) Contemporary issues, opportunities, and resources for the U.S. outdoor recreation profession. Journal of Outdoor Recreation and Tourism, 34. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jort.2022.100560
Moore, L.V., Diez Roux, A.V. , Evanson, K.R., McGinn, A.P., & Brines, S.J. (2008) Availability of recreational resources in minority and low socioeconomic status areas. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 34(1), 16-22. DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2007.09.021
National Center for Health Statistics. (2010). Healthy people 2010. U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/healthy_people/hp2010.htm
Outdoor Industry Association. (2024, June 18). Outdoor participation hits record levels for ninth consecutive year [Press Release]. https://outdoorindustry.org/press-release/outdoor-participation-hits-record-levels-for-ninth-consecutive-year/
United States Tennis Association. (2023, March 6). Surge in tennis participation led by growth in ethnic diversity [Press release]. https://www.usta.com/en/home/stay-current/southerncalifornia/surge-in-tennis-participation-led-by-growth-in-ethnic-diversity.html#tab=tournaments
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2023, May). Occupational employment and wage statistics. United States Department of Labor. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes399032.htm
About the Authors
Andy Beichler is the Associate Director of Community Results for Partners for Rural Impact in Berea, Kentucky. He is passionate about ensuring that everyone has access to the places they love through outdoor recreation and tourism. LinkedIn Profile
Michael J. Bradley, Ph.D. serves as the Dean of Research and Graduate Studies at Arkansas Tech University. His work focuses on outdoor recreation, community-based tourism, and sustainable economic development. His work emphasizes the role of trails, public lands, and place-based strategies in revitalizing rural communities. Bradley is especially passionate about connecting people to nature, supporting rural resilience, and advancing outdoor recreation as a tool for both education and economic transformation. LinkedIn Profile