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Beach wheelchairs in Clearwater make paradise accessible
Catherine Hawley reports
CLEARWATER BEACH, Fla. - Millions of tourists visit Pinellas County beaches each year, yet, for visitors and residents with disabilities, the sand can be treacherous terrain.
The city of Clearwater is taking steps to increase accessibility. At the main lifeguard station, folks can already use manual beach wheelchairs for free. However, they can be difficult to push across the sand.
"Not everybody comes with another body that's able to do that," said Clearwater Beach Lifeguard Manager, Patrick Brafford.
Last week, Clearwater Beach debuted two new electric beach wheelchairs. They have anti-tip, all-terrain tires, an adjustable seat and armrests, and can run continuously for six hours.
"They cannot be reserved," Brafford said. "We'll do our best to help each and every customer out, but it is generally first come first served."
The motorized chairs make it easier for visitors with special needs to get out onto the sand, and are also completely free to use. They can be signed out between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. So far, we are told they have been checked-out every day.
"They come in are all smiles, you know, they're thankful we had them. They thank us. They say they'll be back. They're going to spread the word. So it's great to see positive feedback on a positive thing that we're providing for the community," said Brafford.
The city isn’t stopping there. Staff recently applied to the state for approval to install accessibility mats at three locations at the beach. These long, non-slip mats give folks with mobility challenges or custom wheelchairs a way to bypass the soft, uneven sand.
"They look like they will dead end like right in the middle of the sand, but because of the sea turtles, we have to have them not be within 175-feet of the wet sand," explained Clearwater Communications Director, Joelle Castelli.
The permitting process can take some time, but officials hope to have the mats in place by this fall.
"We've always had the desire to have mobility be allowed for everybody and everybody who wants to enjoy our number one beach."