Biophilia

The hypothesis, popularized by biologist E. O. Wilson, that humans have an innate affinity for living things and natural systems, and that contact with nature is therefore a fundamental contributor to physical and psychological wellbeing. Biophilia underpins much research on restorative environments, nature-based interventions, and biophilic design in architecture and the built environment. In accessibility, biophilia raises an equity question: if contact with nature is a basic human need, then barriers that prevent disabled people from engaging with natural environments - vision-centric signage, inaccessible trails, family overprotection, lack of multisensory cues - are wellbeing harms, not just convenience problems.