Parks & Environmental

Port Clinton officials and The Ability Center of Sylvania, Ohio, partnered to put down a Mobi-Mat beach access mats for people with disabilities, walkers and elderly visitors or parents with strollers. (Photo provided by Port Clinton, Ohio)

Accessible mats, wheelchairs improve beach day inclusivity

By LAUREN CAGGIANO | The Municipal

Installed from Memorial Day through Labor Day, Lincoln City’s Mobi-Mats are ADA compliant, portable, nonslip and roll-up, increasing beach access by creating temporary pathways. (Photo provided by Lincoln City, Ore.)

The driving force behind efforts initiated by two municipalities is that everyone wins when public facilities and amenities are accessible to people of all abilities.

Jeanne Sprague is the parks and recreation director of Lincoln City, Ore. She is charged with working with the public, other departments, nonprofits and public entities to offer health and wellness programming to the community. According to Sprague, the staff approach each project through the lens of three pillars: equity, health and wellness, and conservation, which is why three beaches are now equipped with Mobi-Mats — portable, nonslip roll-up runners that create temporary pathways along the sand.

“Accessibility is a huge part of Lincoln City,” she said. “We are a tourist town, and we have residents. We rely heavily on our beach and open spaces to get people outdoors to recreate. And we want everyone to be able to recreate, no matter their ability.”

With that in mind, the public works department started the conversation because they had seen such a concept in another location and wanted to bring it to Oregon. At the time they already had an all-terrain beach chair and wanted to expand on that. The chair is equipped with fat tires that can get over rocks and sand on the beach.

According to Sprague, the Mobi-Mats are made of 100% recycled polyester and are saltwater resistant, ideal for the Oregon climate. Perhaps most importantly, they help remove barriers to enjoying the beach.

Safety Service Director Tracy Colston said public involvement and feedback is important to making Port Clinton, Ohio, a rich place for residents of all abilities. (Photo provided by Port Clinton, Ohio) Port Clinton’s beach wheelchair was funded through a grant from The Ability Center of Greater Toledo. (Photo provided by Port Clinton, Ohio)

“They make transportation over the sand easier,” she said. “You can do it with a wheelchair. You can do it with a children’s stroller. It could be someone that’s walking with a cane — it just makes accessibility to the beaches possible for everyone.”

Community feedback has been positive, she related. The city has been contacted by residents who’ve shared that an older relative recently enjoyed the beach after years of avoiding it.

The city has three Mobi-Mats and is working on equipping a third beach wheelchair. Sprague acknowledges that the initiative would not be possible without support from partner entities such as the Oregon Coast Visitors Association.

In Ohio, Port Clinton, has similar ambitions. The city on the Lake Erie shoreline has a specialized beach wheelchair and ADAaccessible ramp. Safety Service Director Tracy Colston said those projects are the result of community action.

“Five years ago, we had citizens who wanted to build an all-accessible playground,” he said. “They put about a $750,000 marketing campaign together and raised the money privately through donations. And now we have this state-of-the-art playground here that’s handicap accessible.”

The project was particularly meaningful to one family who had a relative in a wheelchair. The person was unable to play with their sister on the standard playground and was sitting on the sidelines, watching. That family brought awareness to the issue and got the process moving.

What followed was a concrete walkway placed along the beach. Then, according to Colson, they took it a step further and installed Residents of Lincoln City, Ore., can download an app through a link provided by the community center to reserve wheelchairs to access the city’s Taft Beach. (Photo provided by Lincoln City, Ore.)

Mobi-Mats at various locations in the city. Like in Lincoln City, they worked with another organization— The Ability Center of Greater Toledo — to bring the idea of beach mats to fruition through grant funding.

“So now we have accessibility for people, especially grandparents who would have to sit in the parking lot to watch their grandchildren swim,” he said. “They can basically participate and be a part of it. We think it’s a tremendous thing and they’re getting quite a bit of use.”

The grant has also enabled them to offer a wheelchair available for rental that’s made for the environment. The chair features four large, inflated tires that glide with ease through sand, gravel, grass or concrete.

According to Colston, these projects represent just part of their commitment to making Port Clinton a better place for everyone to live, work and play.

“We also have now a handicap accessible walkway that we’re just finishing right now,” he said. “It’s a $2.3 million project along our riverwalk that should be done within the next few weeks. It’s a tremendous thing and connects all of our other walkways around the area of Waterworks Park.”