Montgomery Parks October Speaker Series looks at how to ensure birding is accessible to all

WHEATON, Md. – Montgomery Parks October Speaker series looks at the topic of birding and how to make sure the popular pastime is accessible to everyone. 

Disabled birder and occupational therapist Freya McGregor will discuss her company, Access Birding, which provides training to help nature-based organizations improve access and inclusion for disabled birders. 

What:    October Speaker Series: Access Birding 
When:   Tuesday, October 17, 2023, 1 p.m.-2:30 p.m. 
How:      via Zoom (click here to join the presentation)
               Link will be sent to registrants the day before the event 

 “We hope anyone interested in birding, beginner or experienced, will join us to learn how they can increase accessibility for themselves and others.” said Ashlyn Thompson, Montgomery Parks Inclusion and Community Outreach Specialist.  

The Access Birding Speaker Series presentation is part of Montgomery Parks’ Birdability Week activities.  A complete listing of events can be found on the department’s  Birdability Week webpage.
 
 About the Speaker 
Freya McGregor (she/her), OTR/L, CIG is a military spouse, a disabled birder and an occupational therapist. Freya co-founded the nonprofit Birdability, and now provides consulting and training through her business Access Birding to empower birders and nature organizations to be confident agents of change in improving access and inclusion for disabled birders. Her clinical background is in blindness and low vision services, and her ‘dodgy’ knee creates an access challenge for her. Freya is a research associate in the Dayer Human Dimensions Lab at Virginia Tech, involved in research related to access, inclusion, disability and birding, and using birding as a therapeutic tool. She has written about access, inclusion, disability and birding for Audubon magazine, Birding magazine, and the LA Times, and is currently writing A Field Guide to Accessible Birding in the United States, to be published by Princeton University Press — the first bird finding guide written by a disabled birder for disabled birders. Connect with her on Instagram @the.ot.birder  
About Montgomery Parks      
Montgomery Parks manages more than 37,000 acres of parkland, consisting of 419 parks. Montgomery Parks is a department of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), a bi-county agency established in 1927 to steward public land. M-NCPPC has been nationally recognized for its high-quality parks and recreation services and is regarded as a national model by other parks systems. MontgomeryParks.org  
Accessibility     
Montgomery Parks, part of The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, encourages and supports the participation of individuals with disabilities. Please contact the Program Access Office at 301-495-2581 (Voice/TTY), MD Relay 7-1-1 or 800-552-7724 or ProgramAccess@MontgomeryParks.org to request a disability modification. Visit Montgomery Parks Accessibility for more information.   

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