HOLMES BEACH, Fla. — Manatee Public Beach is taking a major step toward becoming more accessible.
The county has installed a new mobility mat in Holmes Beach, near the Anna Maria Island Beach Café.
It's part of the county's initiative in meeting the accessibility requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA), which mandates equal access to public facilities, services and programs for individuals with disabilities.
The T-shaped mat is six feet wide and pushes out about 100 feet into the 400-foot wide beach. It leads to a 12-foot landing area where people can "rest and enjoy the surf, sand and sunsets."
“We have been wanting to do this for years,” Carmine DeMilio, the ADA Coordinator for Manatee County’s Property Management Department, said. "This is another step to help accommodate the disabled community and provide access to world-class amenities and award-winning beaches."
The bright blue mobility mat is made from recycled metals, which the county says is durable and slip-resistant. The smoother surface will not only provide accessibility to people in wheelchairs but also to beachgoers with strollers, wagons and rolling coolers.
"County leaders encourage everyone to try out the new beach access mat and invites individuals with disabilities, their families and caregivers to enjoy the beautiful beaches of Manatee County without any barriers," the county wrote in a news release.
Manatee Public Beach joins the likes of several other Tampa Bay area beaches that have installed mobility mats. Just last month, the city of Tarpon Springs installed a mobility mat at Sunset Beach.
