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West Australian
7 days ago
- General
- West Australian
Vital mobility aid equipment to increase beach accessibility at popular spots Middleton Beach and Emu Point
New beach walkers and wheelchairs will improve beach access at two of Albany's most popular beaches, with new equipment and purpose-built storage facilities now installed at Middleton Beach and Emu Point. The City of Albany recently installed two all-terrain beach walkers and a new beach wheelchair, which are free to use. One of the beach walkers will be kept in a purpose-built facility behind the Albany Surf Lifesaving Club at Middleton Beach, along with the existing Hippocampe wheelchair, and the second walker and new wheelchair will be available at Emu Point in a new storage container closer to the shoreline to help with better access. Senior community development officer Ross Evans said the new equipment was part of the city's goal to make Albany more inclusive. 'We want the beach to be accessible to all, and having both a wheelchair and a walker ticks the box for a lot of different people,' he said. 'People who just need a small amount of mobility aid, such as an elderly person or somebody who's got a broken leg, they can use the walker to access the beach as well.' He said the new equipment came highly anticipated by the local community. 'We all know and love Middleton Beach here as the jewel of the beaches in Albany, Emu Point as well is fantastic area, and opening up those beaches to more people just makes sense,' he said. To hire the equipment, users can call the number listed on both storage units to book a time to hire out the equipment. All the beach accessibility equipment is free to use and available 24/7. Albany resident John May tested out the beach walker for the first time at Middleton Beach this week, and said the new mobility aid was a game changer. 'This would make a big difference to a lot of the elderly who aren't too stable, and then that would give them a lot of confidence to join their family on the beach,' he said. 'I haven't been able to take the dog down to the beach for quite some time because of the soft sand and being on dialysis, it takes a lot out of you, and you just haven't got the get up and go anymore. 'I just can't believe how many people it would help.' For usage instructions and booking details, contact the Community Development team at commdevel@ or call (08) 6820 3008.
Irish Independent
29-05-2025
- Irish Independent
Beach wheelchairs improve access at Bettystown Beach in Meath
This aims to assist people with a physical disability and those with reduced mobility in accessing the beach and water. The two chairs – the Terra Wheels beach wheelchair is a durable wheelchair and is easily propelled by an attendant using the push handle, while the Hippocampe is a beach friendly wheelchair allowing users to go into the water and swim while the chair floats. Speaking at the launch, CEO of Meath LSP, Mary Murphy spoke about the impact that the beach wheelchairs saying that 'the provision of the two beach wheelchairs at Bettystown beach presents an opportunity for those with physical disabilities and reduced mobility to enjoy the beach, the water and the coastline; whether that is with family members, as part of a school outing or as part of a group.' Councillor Geraldine Keogan of the Laytown/Bettystown district said: 'It's a great initiative to see, I believe that everyone should have access to the beach. It's very important for everyone to be included in everything. I hope to see more people coming to the beach and make avail of the wheelchairs.' However, some concerns have been raised about the limited availability by Councillor Carol Lennon. Cllr Lennon said: 'Whilst it's a great initiative, wheelchair users are restricted as to when they can access the beach. It's a step in the right direction, but not quite far enough. We need to increase the time frame.' The beach wheelchairs are available daily between 11am and 7pm, with bookings offered in two-hour time slots. They can be collected from the Beach Wardens hut located beside the Civic Centre. To ensure availability, Meath LSP has created an online registration page, allowing users to pre-book their preferred times.
