Meet DO Member and Founder of Disabled Hikers, Syren Nagakyrie
“We need a massive shift in outdoor culture, in the mindset of people, and the way we think about the outdoors and really challenging the ableism and colonialism that is inherent in outdoor culture.”
Syren Nagakyrie (they/them), DO member and Founder of Disabled Hikers, has a lifetime of experience in navigating the world through the lens of disability and chronic illness. They have found both exclusion and comfort in outdoor spaces, noting that even though “the outdoors has been a place that I can retreat to,” there are many barriers for disabled folks in getting outside. Access issues, lack of reliable information, and gatekeeping are all consistent problems.
Syren noticed these prevalent issues early on in their outdoor experiences, and instead of giving up on hiking or recreating outside, they found a way to improve the system and the overall outdoor culture. The online community and non-profit organization, Disabled Hikers, was founded through Syren’s own experiences and needs.
Building Community Through Accessible Trails
“I was out on a hike that I had done tons of research about. I got there and there were all these barriers and obstacles that hadn’t been mentioned in any of the guides that I read.” After that hike, Syren went home and wrote a blog post shedding some light on the challenges of the hike, offering a much more reliable guide for anyone else who wanted to try it.
Those blog posts led to the community that Disabled Hikers is today, and has turned into so much more. Nagakyrie’s first book, The Disabled Hiker’s Guide to Western Washington and Oregon, is now available for purchase. The book is filled with adventure opportunities, with consideration for a wide range of access needs and abilities. Hikes and adventures that are accessible by foot, by wheelchair, and by car are all covered in the groundbreaking guide.
Perhaps the best part about the book is that Syren “personally traveled throughout the entire region and went on all these hikes.” They put in years of research and work to ensure the guide was as accurate and reliable as possible. Nagakyrie is already working on a second book, which will cover hikes in Northern California and currently has a publication date in summer of 2024.
What’s Next?
📸: Elise Giordano/Eddie Bauer
Along with writing their next book, Syren is also working on growing Disabled Hikers as an organization. Syren has been working on creating the Disabled Hikers Leadership Development Program which will “offer training for disabled leaders to be able to do this work in their own communities.” They are also building the Disabled Hikers Network, which will be a safe space for disabled folks who are interested in the outdoors to come together and have conversations.
Disabled Hikers also currently offers group hikes and meetups that, according to Nagakyrie, “are really designed as a safer space for disabled folks and chronically ill folks to come together and feel comfortable to share their access needs and discuss what it means for them and their bodies to engage with outdoor spaces.” With new Disabled Hikers chapters in the works, these meetups will hopefully soon be available wherever you may live.
To learn more about group hikes and additional programming, be sure to follow Disabled Hikers on Instagram and check out their website, and don’t forget to pick up a copy of The Disabled Hikers Guide to Western Washington and Oregon.