Beach accessibility mat installed at First Street in Seal Beach

CITY OF SEAL BEACH

The City of Seal Beach celebrated the opening of its third beach accessibility mat, located at First Street, on Aug. 4.

The mats create a firm, stable path across the sand, making it easier for people who use wheelchairs, people with balance or mobility challenges, and parents pushing strollers or wagons to reach the shoreline.

Beach access mats were previously installed at Eighth Street and 10th Street and have been very popular, according to Seal Beach Management Analyst Lauren Barich.

The mats, which are removed each winter and reinstalled in the spring, are installed as far out as possible while considering tides, and are approximately as close to the water as the lifeguard towers, according to Barich.

The new mat was installed earlier this summer thanks to grants from the nonprofit Orange County Coastkeeper and the California Coastal Conservancy, which also provided financial support for the purchase of a powered track wheelchair.

That wheelchair, plus two previously purchased all terrain wheelchairs, are available for checkout at the Lifeguard Headquarters at 888 Ocean Ave., Seal Beach. Wheelchairs can be checked out for free from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. in the summer and 8 a.m.-5 p.m. in the off season.

For more information, call the Marine Safety Department at 562-430-2613 or email AskCityHall@ sealbeachca. gov.