Spending time outside significantly improves both mental and physical health.

However, for some, getting outdoors can be a challenge and accessing the natural world isn’t as simple as just stepping outside for many people for a range of reasons. 

‘This Expansive Adventure‘ is a multi-media website created by world-renowned and respected filmmakers, photographers and writers Fay and Matt Doyle.

With the belief that experiencing the outdoors and nature should not be full of barriers and can be much more inclusive, together, with outdoors retailer Ellis Brighamto, have created ‘The Accessible Outdoors Guide‘ that launched on This Expansive Adventure on May 10, 2023.

About the project

“We worked on creating articles and short film pieces to form an interactive hub,” explains Fay. “The guide aims to help people, through education, learn how to make their experience of the outdoors easier and safer. It also looks at the barriers people face to aid better transparency and to move toward more accessible nature for all.”

This is a subject particularly important to Fay, an adventurer with a disability who has faced many barriers to the outdoors since diagnosis.

Three short films are currently available as part of the ‘Learn Something New’ series on tea:tv Streaming, their original video content streaming platform. They include several interviews with experts and campaigners. 

The first is ‘How to Access the Outdoors with a Hidden Disability’. This short introduction includes lots of invaluable information to help develop confidence, especially with conditions where the goalposts can move during flare-ups. Ani Barber, a disabled outdoors enthusiast and founder of the ‘Outside Our Way’ blog, offers five suggestions on accessing nature and the outdoors with a hidden disability. 

Soraya Abdel-Hadi, founder of ‘All the Elements’ is featured in the second film, ‘Creating Change Around the Things You’re Passionate About’. She gives six tips to get you thinking about using your voice and actions to enact positive change. Activism can seem daunting. However, it doesn’t need to be. Soraya shares invaluable inspiration, creative ideas and thoughts on creating change around the things you feel passionate about and avoiding burnout.

‘Tips to Enjoy the Outdoors Safely’ is the third film’s title. It includes invaluable information to help make your time outdoors more accessible and enjoyable. Advice on how to make your adventures and time outdoors safer comes from Simon Pitman, a member of the Lochaber Mountain Rescue Team and Ellis Brigham’s Fort William branch manager. 

Promoting more inclusive travel

‘The Accessible Outdoors Guide’ focuses on three key areas of the outdoor experience where problems can present themselves – safety, accessibility, and diversity.

In collaboration with experts, a series of informative articles have been produced that explore ways to break down some of the barriers faced. These are currently available on the ‘This Expansive Adventure’ website.

Fay and Matt created ‘This Expansive Adventure’ with the aim of moving away from ‘the idea of unrealistic travel, adventure and lifestyle goals and to make it more approachable, sustainable, achievable and inclusive’.

They hope that this initiative and ‘The Accessible Outdoors Guide‘ can help many more to enjoy the benefits of exploring nature.