Disabled Travelers Summer Special: Beach and “All Terrain” Wheelchairs
Posted June 8th, 2010 in general news and helpful information
All this CAN be yours ...
Photo by: Faey Szeuw (Stock Exchange)
Hello again, everybody, and welcome back to our Disabled Travelers blog. You know, nothing beats a beautiful white sand beach for enjoying summer weather, but nature hasn’t provided much in the way of mobility impaired access on most coastlines. Luckily, the handicapped travel movement has inspired a wide range of specialized wheelchairs that can improve accessibility just about anywhere, including the beach. As part of our Summer Special series, we’ll look at some of the top brands on the coast. Surf’s up!
Naturally, you should do everything you can to take a wheelchair for a “test drive” in actual conditions before you make a purchase, and I can’t offer any personal insight on new wheelchair designs, but there are plenty of options for you to explore. The “Bug” ATV Wheelchair comes from a family-operated company in Pensacola, FL and offers oversized front tires and rear suspension to help traction in uneven terrain. There’s also a walker designed especially for beach conditions.
Landeez is another well-known brand of beach and ATV wheelchair. Though I’ve never tried one myself, many handicapped travelers swear by its ability to handle snow, sand, and gravel. It’s also convenient to disassemble for road trips, and you can fit it with an umbrella holder or purchase separate, interchangeable street wheels to make it an all-purpose chair. Definitely one of the market leaders in design and convenience!
Aqua Creek Products specializes in developing water-oriented products including aquatic lifts and wheelchairs customized for beach and pool use. These lightweight chairs come with all the safety and maneuverability features you’d expect and ship at an astonishingly compact 160 pounds, while still maintaining a weight capacity of 250 pounds. Detailed information is available “on the fly” thanks to a handy product brochure.
When looking for more beach wheelchair options, don’t forget about the hunting, fishing, and “outdoor adventure” community. Though not specifically built for beach conditions, there are a number of heavy duty, highly durable wheelchairs designed for outdoor sporting that can definitely handle rough, uneven, and uncertain terrain. One of the favorites around here is Renegade Wheelchairs.
For some great general perspective on accessibility and access tools at the beach, check out Gimp on the Go’s Wheelchair Beach Access article. “Gimp” is a great site and there’s always something there to help you out with your travel needs. You can also find disabled travel news, general tips, travelogues, and a whole bunch more.
That’s it for today’s Disabled Travelers summer edition, but we’ll be back soon with more hot tips! Know something we missed? Feel free to drop me a line and I’ll get back to you just as soon as I get off the beach! Adventure on, friends!
Si
