Now that the summer sun has finally come out from behind the clouds, crowds have begun to swarm to the beach. To ensure that everyone has access to the sand and the surf, the California Coastal Commission funded three new Dune Buster beach wheelchairs for La Jolla Shores, Pacific Beach and Ocean Beach.
This brings the total of beach wheelchairs to seven.
Making the beach wheelchairs available to the public is part of the California Coastal Commission’s effort to improve coastal access for all Californians. San Diego’s beaches attract numerous vacationers, and without the chairs, a family with a disabled person might not be able to go to the beach.
“I am in the unique position to see the value. It makes them happy to join their family on the beach,” said lifeguard Lt. Nick Lerma. “It is a poignant picture to see somebody separated.”
Lerma said all a person has to do to borrow a chair is leave some form of identification card at the lifeguard station, or often one can just leave their personal wheelchair in exchange for the beach wheelchair. Lifeguards are willing and able to assist anyone with getting into the chair and onto the beach.
Kathy Aceves, district manager of Therapeutic Senior Services City of San Diego Park and Recreation Department, said one vacationing family voiced its disappointment because they couldn’t go to the beach since one family member required a wheelchair. Aceves was happy to report that wouldn’t stop the family from getting down to the waves.
“People come back in tears,” Aceves said. “They never thought they would be able to maneuver around the beach again. These chairs set San Diego apart from other beach cities.”
Aceves has heard from many visitors who now come to San Diego instead of Orange County or Los Angeles because of the ease of the beach wheelchair access. In the summer, the city also provides beach ramping across the dry sand to the packed sand, making it easier for people in wheelchairs to navigate.
“As beaches have become more popular over the years, we are trying to balance the needs of the disabled with the common heavy population,” Lerma said.
A manual beach wheelchair costs $2,400 and requires someone to push it. It has balloon-like wheels and can go into the water. Two years ago, the Sandbar Grill donated two beach wheelchairs to Mission Beach.
There were also two new motorized Trak-About beach wheelchairs donated to Mission Beach by the city’s office of Disability Services from grant money from the Coastal Commission. A person can independently navigate through the sand with these beach wheelchairs. However, they should not get wet since they are electric.
There are no restrictions on who can use the beach wheelchairs and they are usually available, as people typically take them out for an hour or two.
Beach wheelchairs can be checked out at the lifeguard towers at La Jolla Shores, Belmont Park and Ocean Beach between 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. every day except Tuesday.
For more information, call the Therapeutic Recreation Services department, (619) 525-8247.