Manatee Public Beach just got a little more accessible.
Manatee County property management employees installed a beach access mat May 1 at Manatee Public Beach, 4000 Gulf Drive, Holmes Beach, according to county information outreach manager Bill Logan.
The mat begins near the Anna Maria Island Beach Cafe and stretches 100 feet west on the beach toward the Gulf of Mexico, where it branches into a 12-foot-wide T-end “landing area.”
The beach mat is made of recycled materials and provides a surface for wheelchairs, strollers and carts to move on the beach, where sand can make wheeled devices difficult to maneuver.
The addition is part of an effort by the county — which operates and maintains the beach — to meet accessibility requirements of the U.S. Americans with Disabilities Act, which mandates equal access to public facilities, services and programs for people with disabilities.
“The addition of the beach access mat will further enhance the openness of these beaches, making them more inclusive and welcoming to all visitors, regardless of their abilities,” the news release states.
“I am so happy that we finally have a mat,” Holmes Beach Mayor Judy Titsworth told The Islander May 5. “This is the best place for it as it is more easily accessed from the parking lot.”
“People have been asking for it for many years,” she added.