Are Cape Cod's Beaches Accessible For Everyone?

Cape Cod's beaches might be one of its crown jewels ... but for people with mobility issues, those gems often lie beyond reach.

Are Cape Cod's beaches accessible?

29 AUGUST 2024 – CAPE COD, MA – Patrick Phipps grew up on Cape Cod surrounded by its coastline and beaches stretching for miles tucked between blue water and sandy dunes. Every year the beaches fill up with visitors and residents alike, escaping the summer humidity in the Atlantic's waves. But not everyone can reach the gleaming shore.

"A lot of the time I don't even bother going to the beaches, because I know that it's gonna be a hassle," Phipps says. "I know that most beaches aren't accessible."

Is there a disability law?

According to the 1990 Americans With Disabilities Act, towns offering a public service are legally required to make sure those services are accessible for everyone. When it comes to beaches, Cape Cod's shifting sand, steep dunes and historical buildings create extra challenges.

For Phipps, who is the Work Readiness and Preparation Coordinator at Cape Organization for Rights of the Disabled (CORD) and uses a manual wheelchair, the current state of beach accessibility leaves him high and dry in the parking lot with no way down to the water.

One of CORD's main missions offering technical assistance to increase accessibility in public spaces. Cathy Taylor is CORD's Director of Service and she says though accessibility on Cape Cod remains a big problem, the region has come a long way from where it was when the law went into effect nearly 35 years ago. Many towns have made efforts at their beaches and trails, but those efforts go only halfway -- and CORD does not know of a single beach on Cape Cod with full accessibility.

What does beach access on Cape Cod look like?

"Beach access is a huge issue. Beaches are one of the main reasons people come to Cape Cod. Those who live here, they love to go to the beaches, but if you're in a wheelchair, have any mobility issues, you really can't get on most of the beaches," said Taylor.

She explained that town-installed ramps and accessibility mats, so called mobi-mats that lay on top of the sand, end up with the same situation: none of them go all the way to the water. That leaves the person depending on ramps and mobi-mats forced to sit in the scorching sun with nowhere to go. On top of that, the mobi-mats are often full of sand and difficult to navigate.

"Some beaches have accessible parking, but no way to get on the beach at all. So I guess you can sit and look at the water from your car," Taylor said.

Are there beach wheelchairs on Cape Cod?

 Beach wheel chairs offer potential, but their implemention is also problematic. "A lot of towns have the beach wheelchairs, which are great," said Taylor, "But I think towns have to be very proactive in promoting that they have these beach wheelchairs, where you can get them and make them easier to access."

Some beach wheelchairs are water safe and some not. All are heavy to push and pull through the sand without maintenance of ramps and mobi-mats. Some of them require pre-booking, some are first come first served, and some are available only during certain times. Folks who want to know if a beach they are planning to visit is accessible for them also need to research in advance - requiring a calls town halls or searches of town and National Seashore's websites. The latter can be challenging for people with visual impairments.

How do beach wheelchairs work?

Meg Donohue lives with her older sister Sharon Donohue in Brewster. The close proximity to the salt water and bike trails should be enough for Meg to access the activities she loves the most: swimming and biking.

"I love the water," says Meg, who uses a wheelchair and a walker. "It makes me relax."

Though Sharon praises the water-safe beach wheelchairs for their floatable design, she says with the changing sand it is too heavy for her to push Meg from the mobi-mats down to the water. "And she's only 98 pounds," Sharon says.

Though people show kindness and often offer to help with the wheelchair, Meg and Sharon have chosen to not go to beach this year. Instead, they have turned to Brewster's new community pool which offers fewer barriers. Sharon wishes for more awareness and consideration for those who are different-abled and may use assistance such as mobility devices for every day life activities.

How can accessibility increase?

As more people who have different needs become more visible in our communities that awareness will increase, Sharon believes. That visibility goes hand and and with accessibility.

Patrick Phipps says it is about time to make as much of Cape Cod as possible fully accessible, and small changes go a long way. Signage for example, marks a good starting point. "

In the beginning of a pathway or when you embark on a beach, just a simple sign that gives you some relevant information on how to access it and what you might encounter would make a difference, he said. "This type of  information that not only benefits people with mobility issues, but also people who are visually impaired as well," he added.

Can buildings become accessible on Cape Cod?

He points out that Cape Cod has an aging demographic, and that these simple methods could ensure universal accessibility for everyone. CORD emphasizes that while Cape Cod is a historical place with buildings and natural features protected by laws trumping ADA, a lot can still be done.  "A lot of times law dictates that we cannot modify certain places of entry

because let's say a building is too old. But in many instances places can be retrofitted with ramps and railings that can help people enter in those buildings.

Resource: Where can you find beach wheelchairs on the Lower and Outer Cape?

• Brewster: Four water safe floatable beach wheelchairs located at four beaches
• Orleans: One floating wheelchair and two non-water safe wheelchairs.
• Eastham: Four beach wheelchairs, none of them safe to use in the water.
• Truro: One beach wheelchair at Corn Hill.