Beachgoers with mobility issues visiting Trinidad and Tobago can now use amphibious wheelchairs at a flagship beach that allow people with disabilities to safely enter the water.
Four amphibious wheelchairs are available free to visitors at Maracas Beach through the country's new Amphibious Wheelchair Service. Two lifeguards per wheelchair take visitors into and out of the sea, and remain with them while they are in the water.
The idea for the service came about at a conference last year that included discussions about best practices for beach access for people with disabilities, and is provided by the Tourism Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago in collaboration with the Ministry of Tourism Life Guard Service Division and the National Center for Persons with Disabilities.
Two amphibious wheelchair styles are currently in use, and depending on which model best suits the terrain and users, more of that type will be introduced at other sites in the future.
One model looks like a traditional beach chair, can float in water, has armrests that can be raised to assist passengers getting in and out and once in the water provide stability and serve as flotation devices. Both models have seats made of nonallergenic fabric that hugs passengers' bodies and allows sand and water to easily filter out, and wheels that enable users to move easily along access ramps and the sand and gravel beachfront, but also act as shock absorbers.
The initiative is part of a continuing effort to increase accessibility for people with disabilities, "who are fast becoming a significant economic factor for the tourism industry, tending to be loyal to a destination, staying longer and spending more," Yolande V. Selman, acting chief executive of the Tourism Development Company said in an e-mail. But more important is creating an environment where those with disabilities can function "with equity and dignity," she added.
The Open Doors Organization, a nonprofit group in Chicago serving disabled people, estimates that American adults with disabilities spend about $15 billion annually on travel. The group says that amphibious or aquatic wheelchairs, which are currently in use across the United States at beaches, are growing in popularity at Caribbean beaches and resort hotels.
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