Have You Seen Any Wheelchair Accessible Beaches in Maine?

This summer, the Christopher Reeve Foundation spearheaded a movement in New Jersey to make the beach accessible for everyone using special roll-out mats that lay on top of the sand and allow wheelchairs to roll out closer to the water. They also provide access to specialized wheelchairs that partially submerge in the water, allowing people with partial or full paralysis to go for a swim. This is especially crucial for anyone whose body has difficulties regulating its own temperature. On hot days, imagine not being able to cool down or go for a swim. Excruciating, right? The Christopher Reeves Foundation is improving lives one beach at a time.

The only time I've seen mats like these were on Cape Cod, in Provincetown. I've never seen them in Maine, but I haven't been to all the beaches yet. With all the hundreds of miles of beaches along the coast, and more tourists flowing in every year, it would make a lot of sense for us to make our beaches as accessible as possible. Let's make it happen!