Context and Challenge

In Oslo, Norway’s most biodiverse urban region, access to nature is not equally distributed. Children and youth with disabilities often face exclusion from organised outdoor recreation, despite the city’s strong tradition of friluftsliv (outdoor nature recreation). This exclusion reflects broader systemic issues, where intersectional barriers related to disability, age, and social status limit participation in nature-based activities.

The PLANET4B project identified this as a critical leverage point: how can outdoor recreation be reimagined to prioritise biodiversity while ensuring equitable access for all?

The Turning Point

Reidun Bolsø, who leads the Greater Oslo Recreation Council (OOF), had long recognised the need for a more inclusive approach. Yet, she felt uncertain. Her concern was not about failing broadly, but about failing subtly — using the wrong language, missing key needs, or falling short of meaningful inclusion.

A transformative moment came during a PLANET4B expert network meeting, where individuals with lived experience of disability shared stories that reframed her understanding. Rather than focusing on limitations, they emphasised possibilities. This shift in narrative, from barriers to potential, was pivotal.

Transformative Change in Action

Reidun Bolsø had spent years working in urban planning, always aware of the gaps in access to nature for people with disabilities. She knew her organisation had influence — but she also knew it lacked knowledge to make outdoor recreation truly inclusive for all individuals with disabilities. Inspired by stories of sleeping in a hammock in the forest with adaptive gear, and building an igloo, she returned to OOF with a new vision. She didn’t just want to avoid mistakes—she wanted to think differently. She proposed creating a guidebook for outdoor activity leaders, not as a checklist, but as a mindset shift. Inclusion, she realised, wasn’t about ticking boxes. It was about listening, adapting, and co-creating.

PLANET4B opened doors to new collaborations. OOF joined forces with the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research and other partners, engaging in cross-sector dialogues with health agencies, sports associations, and disability organisations. These conversations helped Reidun and her team move from broad ambitions to specific actions in their own organisation. They began mapping local needs, identifying geographical disparities, and exploring how universal design could be embedded in the outdoor space her organisation used as a daily base for outdoor recreation.

The transformation wasn’t just institutional. It was personal. Reidun’s unease gave way to curiosity. Her caution turned into confidence. She began advocating for disability inclusion in OOF’s strategy and suggested inviting disability interest groups to become members. Developing OOF’s strategy is still in process, but the administration of the organisation has broadened it’s network and become more aware of the tools it can use to be a potential leader in inclusive recreation.

Researchers involved in the case also experienced shifts: like Reidun, they entered the project unsure of how to approach disability in outdoor settings, but through interviews, fieldwork, and shared learning, they developed a common language grounded in respect and equality. They learned to “translate” between institutional knowledge and lived experience, building trust across sectors.

Together, OOF and its partners began to reshape the narrative around nature access. Outdoor recreation was no longer just about trails and facilities - it was about belonging. It was about ensuring that every child, regardless of ability, could feel the joy of moss underfoot, the thrill of a forest breeze, the quiet power of a shared campfire.

This wasn’t just a change in programming - it was a change in perspective. And it started with a conversation

Alignment with PLANET4B Goals

This story exemplifies PLANET4B’s core objectives:

• Intersectionality: The Oslo case foregrounds how disability and age intersect with access to biodiversity and outdoor life.
• Behavioural and Institutional Change: Reidun’s shift from uncertainty to advocacy reflects a transformation in mindset and institutional practice.
• Participatory Methods: The project used dialogue, fieldwork, and co-creation to build trust and shared understanding.
• Leverage Points: By focusing on inclusion in outdoor recreation, the case targets a key system node where small changes can yield wide-reaching impact.

Outcomes and Vision

OOF has since initiated new collaborations with disability organisations, contributed feedback to municipal mapping of outdoor areas, and begun embedding inclusive design into its strategic planning. As Reidun put it:

“I ended up thinking that OOF has the tools to make change locally and potentially nationally too. I suggested for my board leader that we include the disabled in our strategy, and I now think that we ought to recruit some from the interest group as members of our organisation.”

Lessons for Broader Application

• Cross-sector collaboration is essential for inclusive biodiversity stewardship.
• Emotional safety and trust are prerequisites for transformative learning.
• Inclusive design must be embedded from the outset, not added as an afterthought.
• Intersectional analysis helps identify who is excluded and why, enabling more just and effective interventions.