Kumaka Jensen, who has spina bifida, is the first to use a Mobi-Mat in Huntington Beach, CA on Wednesday, May 5, 2021. The mat is a nylon mesh that lies on the sand and keeps devices like wheelchairs from sinking into the sand.(Photo by Paul Bersebach, Orange County Register/SCNG)
By LAYLAN CONNELLY | [email protected] | Orange County Register
There’s a soft sand barrier that keeps people with physical challenges from enjoying one of the region’s most cherished places, the ocean, up close.
Beach wheelchairs, where available, can be clunky and hard to move in the sand, plus they require the person to change chairs, which can come with its own challenges. Other options include catching a lift on someone’s back, if the person is light enough to carry, to get down to the water.
On Wednesday, May 5, a Mobi-Mat was unveiled in Huntington Beach to make visiting the shore a lot easier.