Disabled people help reshape Park Yoga after sharing lived experiences
For many people, joining a free yoga session in the park is a chance to enjoy fresh air, connect with others and improve their wellbeing.
But for many disabled people, taking that first step isn’t always straightforward.
We recently worked with the Include to Improve Lived Experience Network to better understand the barriers disabled people face when accessing outdoor yoga.
Their honest feedback is already shaping improvements across Park Yoga, helping to create more welcoming and inclusive sessions for everyone.
Listening to lived experience
Our mission is to make Park Yoga an inclusive and welcoming experience for everyone, so that everybody can experience the joy of practicing yoga in nature.
Working with members of the Include to Improve Lived Experience Network, we invited disabled people to share their experiences of outdoor activities, what makes them feel welcome, what creates uncertainty, and what could help them feel more comfortable attending one of our sessions.
Our conversations revealed that, often, the yoga itself isn’t what creates the biggest barriers to taking part in one of our sessions.
One participant explained:
“The smallest of unknowns can be big barriers when your body or energy is unpredictable.”
The barriers start before the yoga begins
The research provided us with an insight into a range of concerns that many disabled people consider before deciding whether to attend.
Some participants expressed concern as to whether there would be accessible toilets, somewhere to rest, or whether the instructor would understand their individual needs. Others worried about becoming tired, feeling embarrassed if they couldn’t complete the session, or simply not knowing what to expect when they arrived.
Sometimes, this can be enough to stop somebody for joining in with one of our sessions altogether.
A wider challenge for outdoor activities
There are 16.8 million disabled people in the UK, accounting for almost one in four (25%) of the population. Yet fewer than half (46%) say it is easy to physically access outdoor spaces, compared with 81% of non-disabled people. Around one in three (31%) disabled people report difficulties accessing parks, countryside or woodland, according to Activity Alliance’s Annual Disability and Activity Survey 2025-26.
These figures highlight the importance of making outdoor activities more inclusive, not just for Park Yoga, but for communities across the country.
Inclusion starts long before someone arrives
One important lesson we learnt from this research was that people begin deciding whether they belong long before they attend their first session.
For our website and social media pages, participants noted the value of providing clear information about the venue, facilities and accessibility as well as using welcoming language, diverse imagery and offering reassurance that every move can be adapted or skipped. These are just some of the small steps we can take to help people feel more confident about giving something new a go.
As one participant shared:
“Language and imagery on websites and marketing that unintentionally implies I need to be fit, flexible, super slim or brimming with confidence to belong. Sometimes, small changes in communication can have a significant impact on whether someone feels included.”
Turning feedback into action
The research demonstrated some key methods of making Park Yoga even more inclusive.
Participants suggested that we introduce buddy systems, offer taster sessions, provide clearer accessibility information, ensure instructors receive disability awareness training, and use marketing that better reflects disabled people taking part.
Gradually, these recommendations are being put into practice across our sessions and marketing. For example, disability inclusion has been incorporated into our instructor training, improvements to website accessibility information are underway, and new photography is being developed to better reflect our diverse community.
Why listening matters
Cathi Farrer-Mitchell, Director at Park Yoga, said:
“We have over 75 Park Yoga venues across the UK. It has always been about creating welcoming spaces where everyone can experience the physical and mental benefits of yoga in nature. This research has given us invaluable insight into the barriers that disabled people face, many of which we simply wouldn’t have understood without listening directly to people with lived experience.
“Some of the changes we’re making are surprisingly simple, but they could make a life-changing difference to someone deciding whether they feel confident enough to come along. We hope this work encourages not only more disabled people to join us but also inspires other organisations to put inclusion at the heart of what they do.”
Anna Whitemore, Programme Advisor for the Include to Improve programme, added:
“Disabled people are the experts in their own experiences, so involving them in shaping activities is one of the most effective ways organisations can become more inclusive. This research shows that many barriers are not as a result of people’s impairments, but by uncertainty, confidence and environments that haven’t been designed with everyone in mind.
“By listening, acting on feedback and making thoughtful changes, Park Yoga is helping to create opportunities where more disabled people can feel they truly belong. That’s exactly what the Include to Improve programme is all about.”
Creating spaces where everyone belongs
The research was carried out with members of the Lived Experience Network, part of the Include to Improve programme led by Activity Alliance and Sport for Confidence, funded by Sport England. The programme creates more opportunities for disabled people to participate, volunteer and work in sports and activities.
For us, this project has reinforced to us that change begins with listening. This way, we can better understand the needs of our community to create more inclusive spaces for everybody.
We want to make sure Park Yoga is a place where everyone feels they belong.
By removing uncertainty, improving communication and making thoughtful changes, more people can experience the physical, mental and social benefits of spending time outdoors, feeling confident that Park Yoga is a place where they truly belong.
Free, friendly community Park Yoga forever.
Useful links:
Find out more about Activity Alliance’s work here.
Read Activity Alliance’s annual survey here.
Learn more about who Sport for Confidence are here.
Read about Activity Alliance’s Include to Improve initiative here.