2020

In 2020, Bondi became one of only 25 Australian beaches that are wheelchair accessible. Removing physical barriers to the beach requires mobility aids such as accessible parking and amenities (toilets and showers), ramps wide enough for wheelchairs, level promenade access to panoramic beach views, specialised matting paths to allow wheelchairs and prams onto the beach and availability of modified beach wheelchairs that can be navigated to the water’s edge.

The beach is a public space that should be accessible to all, but for 1 in 5 Australians with a disability (almost 4.3 million people, according to the 2015 Census) a day at the beach is not a simple spontaneous event but a complex set of challenges that require research, preparation and compromise.

Australia’s ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2008 signalled a shift in social policy, prioritising equal accessibility. The Disabilities Inclusion Act of 2014 provided the legal framework for developing policies that increase awareness of access issues.

Waverley Council, in partnership with the Bondi Surf Lifesaving Club and Accessible Beaches Australia, has worked towards improving access to the beach. Bondi has three beach wheelchairs available for pre-booking: the Sandcruiser for adults and the smaller Sandpiper version for children, both of which can be pushed on soft or hard sand and into shallow water, and the Mobi Chair, which acts as a floatation device.

What makes a wheelchair beach-friendly? The Sandcruiser and Sandpiper use balloon tyres that grip uneven terrain and can be immersed in water, allowing full interaction with the beach and water. The Mobi Chair has three buoyant tyres and two floatation armrests, which allow full body immersion in the ocean. The chairs allow people with a disability to be active beach participants instead of passive spectators.

The recurring comment from the people who tested the equipment was a feeling of delight at the novel experience of feeling the sand on their feet and the ocean on their skin.