Mobility mat, floating chair making some P.E.I. beaches more accessible

The province is increasing accessibility at some Island beaches with a new mobility mat at Basin Head and a floating chair at Cabot Beach.

The mobility matallows people with disabilities to manoeuvre down the beach and get up close to the water, whilethe floating chair allows them to head right into the sea.

Tony Dolan, the co-chair of Spinal Cord Injury P.E.I., says it's another initiative that's slashing barriers for people with disabilities.

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"Like most Prince Edward Islanders, I love being on a beach I've tried a few times to get on a beach and your wheelchair does not operate on sand it just sinks directly in," he said.

"The idea of having the mats is wonderful. It just gives people an opportunity."

'They want to be on the beaches'

Dolan said it's like the first time in 40 yearsthat he's been on sand and the first time hearing the crash of the waves up close once again.

And for a province that prides itself on its world-renowned beaches,making the sandy shores more accessible for everyone is incredibly important, Dolan said.

"It's one of our great selling points, we've got miles and miles and kilometres and kilometres of beaches that are accessible to 99 per cent of the population, but there's a percentage of the population who are mobility impaired, who need something like this and they want to be there."

"They want to be on the beaches."

Chair getting a lot of use so far

Shane Arbing, the provincial parks manager, said the new mobility mat at Basin Head can be used by people with wheelchairs or walkers and that it's been quite popular so far in getting people to the water's edge.

"We just want to make as much activity as possible for as many people as possible," he said.

He's seen a lot of positive feedback on social media, he said, and that the chair is also getting a lot of use.

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