Flagler Beach has become more accessible to disabled

FLAGLER BEACH — Disabled visitors and residents can now enjoy a more enriching day at the beach thanks to the recent addition of new equipment by the city.

Wheeled chairs with large balloon-like tires make it possible to move across the sand without the worry of getting stuck. A disabled-accessible ramp allows the chairs to be ridden onto the beach from the boardwalk area above near the city’s iconic pier.

The city had one chair previously but has added two more, which were donated by the Hilton Garden Inn Palm Coast.

Flagler Beach officials also have acquired a semi-recliner chair capable of granting disabled beach goers access to the waves.

“Everybody deserves a chance to go out in the ocean,” said Police Chief Matthew P. Doughney.

This chair has three large, inflated tires and a flotation device on each arm. Users are strapped in and can be guided out into the water by friends or relatives using the handles along the sides and back. An attached tether allows the second person to pull the chair back to the beach.

Those using the chair wear a flotation vest for further safety, though the chair floats very well and is steady in the waves. The city has different sizes of vest to make the chair accessible to users of various ages.

The Mobi-Chair, as it’s called, provides a new level of enjoyment for disabled beachgoers.

“How do you put a price on that?” Doughney said.

Priceless as the experience may be, the cost of using any of the chairs couldn’t be lower: It’s free.

Anyone who wants to use any of the chairs simply has to see the pier-and-bait shop attendant. A driver’s license or equivalent identification card is required to reserve one of the chairs. The license is returned when the chair is brought back.

The Mobi-Chair was purchased in part with profits from visitor telescopes at the North 4th Street and South 8th Street dune crossovers and through the city recreation fund.