Program:
Floating Beach Wheelchair

I am sure we all remember growing up, enjoying time with family and friends on the beach. Building sandcastles, surfing the crashing waves on our boogie boards, eating homemade sandwiches, and getting buried with sand, leaving only our heads showing above the sand line. Let’s not forget dodging seagulls and returning home with rosy cheeks from being out in the sun for too long!

Now, stop and think for a moment.  What if you had a family member who was born with a disability and confined to a wheelchair? A trip to the beach would no longer be possible. What would you do? Would your family opt not to go to the beach? Or perhaps Mom or Dad would stay home with your disabled sibling so the rest of your family could enjoy the beach.

When confined to a wheelchair, getting to the beach is impossible. The wheels don’t do well in the sand. If you are lucky enough to find a pond, lake, or ocean that has mats or a boardwalk, you might be able to get down to the sand, but you would be stuck at the end of the mat. Getting in the water to cool off would not be an option. That was until we started our SMILE Mass Beach Wheelchair Program.

A trip to the beach is something most people do at one time or another in their lifetime. It is also one of the free things you can still do. The beach doesn’t judge; everyone is welcome. Here is a visual map of current beaches with SMILE Mass Chairs. Let’s add your town beach to the growing list.

Accessible Beaches With SMILE Mass Floating Beach Chairs