Seal Beach Introduces AccessMats To Raise Beach Accessibility

SEAL BEACH, CA — The shores of Seal Beach just got a little more accessible after the city partnered with Orange County Supervisor Katrina Foley to install portable accessibility mats on the sand for beach visitors with disabilities or limited mobility. The city announced the addition of these beach access mobility mats on the beach Aug. 20.

The eco-friendly mats, otherwise known as AccessMat, will allow a safe avenue for wheelchair users to cross the sandy shores and get close to the water's edge. The AccessMat also work for families with strollers looking to enjoy a beach day.

Seal Beach Mayor Joe Kalmick said in a news release that offering these accessibility mats to visitors and community members using the beach was a top priority for the city. The quick addition of the mats, he said, was made possible through funding from Supervisor Foley.

"When I first heard about the beach access mobility maps, I decided that offering this amenity for folks visiting and using our beach was a must," Kalmick said in a statement. "It is gratifying to see someone who may have mobility limitations be able to cross the sand and get down to the water's edge."

The city's accessibility mats are located near the 8th Street beach lot on the north side of the beach and near the 10th Street beach lot on the south side.