Conceptual photo showing printed text Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Long Beach officials unveiled beach access mats, compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, for use on three area beaches on Friday, July 15, 2022. (Andrii Dodonov/Getty Images/iStockphoto)

LONG BEACH, Calif. — Beach-going just got a little more accessible for people with disabilities and the elderly in one California city.

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Long Beach officials on Friday unveiled beach access mats, compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, for Alamitos, Mothers and Granada beaches, the Long Beach Post reported.

“I feel so included. I can be out here amongst other people that are here to enjoy the beach and that is so awesome, instead of seeing it way over there and seeing people enjoying the beach and not being able to,” Mary Zendejas, a Long Beach City Council member who uses a wheelchair, told the Signal Tribune.

The long blue mats, made of 100% recycled synthetic non-slip rubber, provide a surface across which walker and wheelchair users can maneuver. A ribbon-cutting ceremony on Granada Beach marked the adaptive technology’s debut, with Zendejas leading the inaugural procession, the Tribune reported.

I was working for Councilmember Mary Zendejas when she co sponsored the ADA-compliant beach access mats last summer! These are a first for LA county! This makes my heart so full. https://t.co/Jxq9XBPLof

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According to the Post, the mats will be available year-round.

Jennifer Kumiyama, disability community and policy liaison for Zendeja’s office, told the Tribune that she would like to see more accessibility mats at more of the city’s beaches.

“I think these access mats will provide people with disabilities access to not just the ocean but the healing properties of the ocean,” Kumiyama said.

“It’s just an equitable access to the enjoyable parts of life. People who live in this city for decades haven’t had access to the beach, so this is a really big win and a great day for people with disabilities in our city,” she added.

To see photos of the mats in use, read the complete report in the Long Beach Post.

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