Amphibious wheelchairs a blessing for the disabled

AFTER surviving a drowning, 6-yearold Cayley Habelgaarn from Kuils River can now enjoy her favourite place – the beach – thanks to amphibious wheelchairs.

The wheelchairs were launched by Ford South Africa in collaboration with environmental organisation Wessa.

They allow people with disabilities easy access to the beach.

Cayley was two years old when she nearly drowned in her family pool in December 2013.

She was saved by her grandfather and rushed to hospital, but had suffered extensive brain damage.

She has been confined to a wheelchair as a result, and, now eight years old, Cayley enjoys water and being at the beach.

Her aunt, Tarren-Lee Habelgaarn, said they were excited to try out the wheelchair.

“Usually we have to carry her around at the beach, and now that she is older, she is heavier. The wheelchair is amazing. It is so lightweight on the sand, and she can go into the water with it and enjoy the water, without putting extra strain on our backs.

“She said she felt like Moana when she was in the water, and she loves it.

“When I heard about it, I thought it was something so cool, especially because of how we normally have to carry her on the beach and she doesn’t have that much freedom at the beach – and she loves the beach.”

Wessa’s national coastal co-ordinator, Rob Slater, said the City of Cape Town, Overstrand, Bitou and Kouga municipalities were identified as recipients for the wheelchairs, based on their existing disabled access to beaches and on their commitment to making their Blue Flag beaches usable for all people.

The wheelchairs were freely available for disabled beach-goers to use.

“The idea is to create universal accessibility on beaches, especially our Blue Flag beaches. We can hopefully add more in the future but, as an NGO, we rely on funding. But that is our next step, to extend this in the future.”

Mike Schmidt, director for education and global community development at the Ford Motor Company Fund, said they were happy to be a part of the partnership.

“This is yet another example of how mobility can improve the quality of life for people in many different ways.

“We’re happy to support this unique project that will allow more people to fully experience the joys of the beach – from travelling along the sandy shores to going into the water.”