Beach Wheelchair Project

On behalf of The Beach Wheelchair Project team and in collaboration with North Berwick Community Centre and the North Berwick Coastal Area Partnership, we asked for your feedback on a proposal to bring Beach Wheelchairs to the beaches of the North Berwick Coastal area and eventually throughout Scotland.

113 responses were received, with 91% of respondents agreeing that providing Beach Wheelchairs would be a good idea. Over 85% of respondents stated either they, their child or person they care for would ‘definitely’ or ‘most likely’ use these Beach Wheelchairs if they were available. Several qualitative comments were also provided, with respondents acknowledging this provision would promote equal opportunity, strengthen inclusiveness and overall improve quality of life through allowing enjoyment of a simple, but beautiful and treasured experience of accessing the sand and beach. Constructive feedback and suggestions were also put forward in qualitative responses.

On behalf of the Beach Wheelchair Project, a funding application was submitted taking into account the potential interest and possible usage of the local community which could be gauged from the survey. Future consideration will be given to particular beaches and coastal areas referred to which have current regular visitation and/or where respondents expressed they would like to visit more than they do at present. Future consideration will be also be given to other areas of improvement required to improve accessibility, notably closer and more disabled parking and improvements in slipways and pathways.