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In Okaloosa and Walton counties about 58,800 children over the age of 5 and 57,700 adults have some kind of disability. While it’s challenging for ANYONE to walk through sand, for many people with disabilities it’s impossible. Even if you can’t…
Joe Jansen, a lifeguard with the South Walton Fire District, is happy to help escort someone to the beach with one of the district's five beach wheelchairs. Photo by 30A. In Okaloosa and Walton counties about 58,800 children over the age of 5 and 57,700 adults have some kind of disability. While it’s challenging for ANYONE to walk through sand, for many people with disabilities it’s impossible.
Even if you can’t walk through sand, you can still get down to the water’s edge to enjoy the waves and the sun. South Walton and nearby Okaloosa County have free beach wheelchairs available to help.
South Walton Fire District provides beach wheelchairs at five beach accesses throughout the spring and summer. Lifeguards meet you in the parking lot, take the chair down to the beach and bring you back up at the end of your visit.
“We’re really proud of the program,” said Dave Vaughan, beach safety coordinator for the fire district. “We’ve been doing this for 10 years.”
South Walton was one of the first areas to launch a beach wheelchair program. Still, some people don’t know about it.
“The community loves this program and anything we can do to promote it on a broader scale is a win for everyone,” Vaughn said.
Vaughn said the district is working to get additional beach wheelchairs at more accesses and that Visit South Walton is working with Mobi Mat, which is a long rubber mat that can be rolled out across the sand so standard wheelchairs can make it down to the water’s edge.
Access 2 B. Inlet Beach Regional Access
438 South Orange Street Center / Flag pole 1 / Inlet Beach TOWER 1
Access 17. Santa Clara Regional Beach Access / Flag pole 9 / Santa Clara TOWER 4 “Bramble Grove”
3468 E CO Highway 30-A SANTA ROSA BEACH, FL 32459
Access 30. Van Ness Butler Regional Beach Access / Flag pole 12 / Van Ness Butler TOWER 5
1931 E Co Hwy 30-A SANTA ROSA BEACH, FL 32459
Access 39. Ed Walline Beach Access / Flag pole 18 / Emergency Vehicle Access Ed Walline TOWER 9 (has Mobi Mat)
4447 W. Co Hwy 30-A SANTA ROSA BEACH, FL 32459
Access 49. Miramar Beach Regional Beach Access / Flag pole 29 / TOWER 14
2375 Scenic Gulf Dr Miramar Beach, Fl 32550
Rent your own beach wheelchair here.
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