Nature4All is a data collection tool developed to improve accessibility in recreational parks. Operators of outdoor spaces, community groups or volunteers can use the app to measure and identify existing gaps when attempting to make nature accessible for everyone. The data is transformed into valuable reports and help set priorities for what needs to be changed.
The apps ultimate purpose is to support Canadas evidence for driving accessibility planning needs toward streamlined data management. The data can be entered on-site or off-site and enriched using photographs, comments, recommendations, cost estimates, and more.
The accessibility standard consists of approx. 350 criteria which must be met for a park to be designated as fully accessible. These are grouped into checklists ranging from access routes to washrooms. When location is enabled, the auto-populate feature captures the geoLocation of the park, sites, and checklist elements. This allows effective management of the current state and recommend improvements.
Additionally, photos provide a visual representation of the parks and illustrate whether accessibility standards are met. The compliance forms (which are at the core of the application) provide the functionality of taking pictures to enrich textual comments. An example of this would be the lack of signage for accessible parking or washrooms, which do not comply with accessibility standards.