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Accessibility on Farm Tours

A farm tour is more welcoming when more people can take part safely. Accessibility planning helps visitors with disabilities, older guests, families with strollers and anyone who tires easily.

Why plan for accessibility?

Visitors come with different abilities. Some use wheelchairs, walkers or canes. Some have limited vision or hearing, sensory sensitivities or medical needs. Planning ahead lets you invite them without risk and without surprises.

Accessibility also helps with safety in general, because clear paths, good lighting and calm routines serve everybody.

Marketing materials should describe the route honestly so visitors can decide for themselves. Over-promising does more harm than a clear description.

• Wheelchair and walker users
• Older guests who tire easily
• Families with strollers
• Visitors with sensory sensitivities

How do you assess your route?

Walk the tour route as a visitor would. Look for steps, thresholds, mud, gravel, slopes, narrow gaps and places where machinery or animals may be present. Note anywhere where a wheelchair or walker would struggle.

Ask someone with a disability or an occupational therapist to review your route, if possible.

Test the route after rain. Many accessible paths become impassable once they are wet, and plan an alternate plan for bad weather. Take notes and photographs of problem spots so you can plan repairs and share them with an adviser.

• Firm, level paths between stops
• Ramps or alternative routes around steps
• Places to sit and rest
• Shade and shelter from weather
• Accessible parking and drop-off points
• Restrooms that visitors can reach

What accessibility rules apply to you?

Requirements depend on your business type, location and the rules in your state and county. Standards for accessible routes and facilities exist, and not every farm is covered the same way. Check with your local building office, state agency and the U.S. Department of Justice ADA information, and consider legal advice for specific questions.

Do not assume. Confirm.

Insurance for agritourism often has its own conditions, so ask your provider what they expect for visitor safety and accessibility.

• Local building office
• State agency
• U.S. Department of Justice ADA information
• Your insurance provider and legal adviser

How can you help visitors with different needs?

Share clear information in advance: the route, surfaces, distances, animals, noise and rest points. Ask visitors what they need instead of guessing. Offer written materials in large print and consider alternatives for people who cannot hear a spoken tour.

For visitors sensitive to noise or crowds, offer quieter times and warn about loud equipment.

Quiet spaces and clear signage help visitors who become overwhelmed. Ask guests about sensory needs when they book.

• Large-print and plain-language handouts
• Seating along the route
• Quiet times for sensitive visitors

How do you keep animals and machinery safe for everyone?

Keep visitors away from working machinery and out of animal pens unless the setup has been designed for safe contact. Fencing, signage and trained guides help. Visitors with limited mobility may find it harder to step away quickly, so give them extra margin.

Hand-washing stations and clear guidance about animal contact are important for everyone. Check with your health department or extension about requirements.

Offer a viewing point for animals that is accessible and safe, rather than requiring everyone to enter the barn. Remember that children, older adults and visitors unfamiliar with farms may not recognize hazards, so describe them calmly and clearly before the tour begins.

• Fencing and clear signs around machinery
• Trained guides at animal areas
• Extra margin for slower-moving visitors
• Hand-washing stations

How should staff and volunteers be prepared?

Brief your team on route changes, emergency plans and respectful communication. Speak directly to the visitor, not their companion, and ask before offering help.

Make sure at least one person knows basic first aid and where to find the phone. In an emergency call 911. Take training from the Red Cross or similar recognized providers.

Practice your emergency plan so that staff know how to reach everyone, including people who use mobility devices or who cannot hear an alarm.

• Brief staff on routes and emergency plans
• Speak to the visitor, not their companion
• Ask before offering help
• Know where the phone is and call 911 in an emergency

Where can you get more help?

Extension offices and AgrAbility projects may offer accessibility reviews. Agritourism programs through land-grant universities also share planning guides. Availability varies by state.

Ask for feedback after each tour and make changes.

Ask guests what worked and what did not, and keep notes. Visitors with disabilities are often generous with ideas when asked respectfully.

• Extension agritourism programs
• AgrAbility projects
• Visitor feedback after every tour

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026. Written by the Farm Safety Editorial Team. See our editorial policy.