| "There's something about moving down the sand that gives you a sense of freedom." | |
| Wes Johnson, Accessible San Diego |
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While coastal resource managers strive to ensure that the public has access to our nation's beaches, there is one group of people who see the stairs of a beach walkway or the very sand itself as a barrier to enjoyment—those in a wheelchair or who are otherwise physically disabled. Last summer, San Diego became the first U.S. city to offer motorized wheelchairs to disabled beachgoers.
"It provides independence. That's one of the things we hear," says Wes Johnson, president of Accessible San Diego, a nonprofit information center for travelers with disabilities. "You're actually on the sand. There's something about moving down the sand that gives you a sense of freedom."
It is this freedom, Johnson says, that makes the Beach Cruzr different from vinyl beach decking, beach mats, push chairs, or other options that coastal managers have provided for the disabled in the past.
The Beach Cruzr wheelchairs feature balloon tires and a high-torque gearbox that let the rider move easily over the sand without getting stuck. "They're nice because you don't need anyone to push you," Johnson says. "They're quiet, battery powered, and can roll at about the same speed as the average jogger."
Working with the City of San Diego, Johnson's organization began three years ago researching beach chairs. Not finding a motorized chair, he "challenged" a California manufacturer to "develop an independent powered beach chair for the sand." A year later, the prototype was delivered.
After another year of safety testing, the city approved the chairs for public use and spent $22,000 in federal community development funds to buy two of the custom-made wheelchairs. The city also funded a staff position to manage a volunteer corps to operate the program.
Initially only available at one location, the Beach Cruzrs can be checked out for an hour at a time, seven days a week, at no charge. Since the chairs were introduced August 1, 2001, an average of two to three people a day have used the two chairs. Johnson notes that during the warmer months, the average jumps to four to six people a day.
Johnson says they plan to expand the program over the next few years to have two chairs at each of the city's main beaches. The City of Imperial Beach has followed San Diego's lead and recently purchased two Beach Cruzrs with the support of the California Coastal Conservancy.
"Recreation is very important for quality of life," Johnson says. "More and more people with disabilities are looking for activities that they can enjoy, and enjoying the water and beaches is right up there. This is the future. We're on the cutting edge of providing recreation for people with disabilities."
For more information on the Beach Cruzr, contact Wes Johnson at (858) 279-0704 or wes@accessandiego.org. You may also point your browser to www.accessandiego.com.
