Special ‘all-terrain’ wheelchairs are now available on Sandown seafront to enable people with mobility difficulties or physical disabilities to enjoy the sun, sea and sand to the full.
The beach should be for everyone, but tell that to someone in a wheelchair. Pushing a standard one through the sand is incredibly difficult – even with a helping hand.
Now a project involving the Isle of Wight Council, Sandown Town Council and Sandown Beach Lifeguards has seen the introduction of beach-friendly wheelchairs at Sandown’s Blue Flag beach. The 2 chairs have 4 low-pressure balloon tyres to make it easy to navigate on the sand and comfortable to ride. They are appropriate for all ages, including children, and adjustable to meet different people’s posture needs.
The wheelchairs are available for hire from Dinosaur Isle on Culver Parade and the beach lifeguard station at Eastern Gardens and all they cost is a £20-a-day returnable deposit, and will be available on a 1st come first served basis.
Councillor Jonathan Bacon, Cabinet member for beaches, said:
“These new wheelchairs are already making a big difference for a lot of families who haven’t previously been able to go out and fully enjoy the beach together.
“The wheelchairs are funded by the Isle of Wight Council however we very much appreciate the support and partnership of Sandown Town Council, Sandown Beach Lifeguards and the team at Dinosaur Isle who look after and rent them out.”
The beach wheelchairs are designed to be used on soft terrain where ordinary wheelchairs would sink into the surface. This makes them ideal for the beach, and enable users to not only access the beach but also go into the water.
Sandown mayor, Councillor Paddy Lightfoot, said:
“Thanks to Danielle Wharton from the Isle of Wight Council and the lifeguard team for the provision of accessible wheelchairs.
“They will provide access on and off our Blue Flag beach, reflecting the commitment of the town council to improve and enhance seaside amenities for residents and visitors, as well as working with concessionaires to develop accessibility for all.”
Todd Miller, of Sandown Beach Lifeguards, added: “We are pleased to be able to help Sandown Town Council and the Isle of Wight Council with the loaning out of its accessible wheelchair during the summer months.
“Hopefully this will enable more people to be able to enjoy our beautiful beach at Sandown.”
Now this is the sort of thing I don’t mind my council tax being spent on.
Well done,for a change.
Great idea.
But where is the nearest slipway to dinosaur Isle?
really – perhaps disabled people could buy their own leisure kit, like the rest of us – yet again, another example of councils spending money that they took, against the will of hard working taxpayers and hand it out to those that aren’t working.
These chairs are also for disabled children, who can’t go to work. Obviously you don’t have anyone who has to use a wheelchair in your family, otherwise you’d see things a lot differently.
Gee, what a thoughtful, caring individual you are. Glad I’m not related to you.
You moron so called “isle of wighter”. In your world this disabled person will be being paid benefits from your hard working taxpayers money so surely rather than YOU having to pay for 1 chair per person even you can see that it is better to buy a few so they can be shared. If you are a true isle of wighter I will eat my hat for nammit.
Agree, as long as they are not abused by the lazy people who use electric disabled scooters when they do not need them. Why can’t the baby boomers learn how to use a good old fashion walking stick, like their parents used to do during the blitz ?
It is not just the drunks and drugy’s that choose a certain life style choice, that put a huge burden on todays society. me,me,me,me…….IMO.
What the hell does a lunatic like you think you know what our parents did in the war?
SAW IT ON THE TELLY !
The trouble is most people expect to live forever nowadays.
Totally agree, would be nice if there were more than two though, but it all helps.
I’m sure it’s been tested and works fine (or I’m almost sure it has, but this is the Council remember) but I would have expected an ‘all terrain’ vehicle to have sort of tread on the tyres. All I can imagine is a person sitting in this chair and the wheels spinning madly in the sand as they go nowhere.
But the Council will have foreseen this and made sure it works properly, wont they?
‘All I can imagine is a person sitting in this chair and the wheels spinning madly in the sand as they go nowhere.’ … while the tide is going out…. Now I got that image in my head.