Every borough with a beach will soon have a wheelchair-accessible ramp to the water.
Officials and disabled beachgoers opened a new mat in Brighton
Beach Tuesday that goes from the street all the way to the Atlantic
Ocean’s high-tide line.
The Parks Department is going ahead with the program after a
successful trial run at Rockaway Beach. In addition to the beaches in
Brooklyn, Midland Beach on Staten Island and Orchard Beach in the Bronx
are also equipped with the new mats.
Officials say they are working to make all beaches and parks wheelchair friendly.
“The parks are for everyone and if it’s not fully accessible now,
it will be in the future because that is our pledge,” said Parks
Commissioner Adrian Benepe. “It will take some time, it will take some
money, and in some cases it may not be completely accessible because
it’s the side of a mountain, but we will work to provide as many
opportunities as we can.”
The mats, which cost about $30,000 each, mark the first effort in
city history to make beaches accessible to disabled New Yorkers.
I will put a picture up and the name of the person at the Parks Department who has the information. Thanks for writing. Louise
I am very interested in the item regarding disabled access to the beach in NY. Could you please let me know what the matting being used is and who manufactures it.
Also is it possible for somebody to email me a picture of the matting in situ?
Many thanks in advance.
Sheila King
Secretary
Access For All Alliance Inc
Queensland, Australia