A comparison of rail-trail preferences between adults with and without disabilities

This study compared the trail setting preferences of a group of users having disabilities and a group without. On-site interviews and follow-up mail surveys were used to gather data from 1,705 men and women age 16 and older who were using one of three multipurpose rail-trails in Iowa, California, and Florida. Preferences for 27 setting attributes of such trails were measured using 7-point Likert-type scales. Preferences between the two groups were found to differ significantly (.05 level) for only 7 attributes. Findings indicated that people with and without disabilities are more similar than different in their usage and preferences for outdoor recreation. It was concluded that there is a need for research examining ways to enhance the inclusion of people with disabilities in outdoor recreation settings.