Coronado is a resort city located in San Diego, California. It’s known for its luxury hotels, delicious restaurants, beautiful parks, and gorgeous beaches. It has just been announced that the city has installed accessible beach mats on the Central Beach, Dog Beach, Glorietta Bay Park, and North Beach, allowing those who are mobility impaired easier access to the water.
The Mats
The mats were installed from the lifeguard towers all the way down to the shore. They will stay set up year-round and officials say they will not need to be removed from their location for repairs. They also come in segments which means that they can be adjusted easily depending on the tide.
These mats, which cost 78,000 dollars, are temperature controlled. This means that even in the hottest months of the summer the mats will still feel cool for people and pets using them.
These mats ultimately mean that more people who are mobility-impaired will be able to enjoy all that this city has to offer. It gives them a stable ground so they don’t need to walk or be pushed in their wheelchair across deep sand. A vacation should be relaxing, after all. No one should have to stress about barriers that have such a simple solution. Especially, when they’re on a trip with the sole purpose of relaxing.
It’s a small step. But sometimes the smallest of actions can have a ripple effect, sparking other small steps elsewhere. After all, we need to start somewhere.
This is great news for all those wheel-chair bound or living with a mobility impairment due to their rare disease.
You can read more about these mats here. Hopefully, other beaches in other states will follow Coronado’s example, creating more accessible vacation spots nationwide.
