Calls for Dorset beaches to be more accessible to wheelchair users
Dorset's coast is being criticised for not providing enough facilities to help people reach the beach
Dorset's beaches are world renowned for being some of the best in the UK.
Soft sand underfoot, and a nice paddle in the sea are things we often take for granted.
But there are claims not enough is being done to make sure as many people as possible can experience what our county's got to offer.
Wheelchair users say a day out at the beach here isn't something many of them would consider a possibility.
Simon Shave is one and a Dorset resident. After a visit to Sandbanks Beach, he told Greatest Hits Radio Dorset about the experience:
"I find with the weight of my chair, and that matt, a bit of a struggle to keep it on the straight and narrow."
Emma Wray from Dorset-based charity Diverse Abilities said:
"A lot of people, particularly the people we support at Diverse Abilities, love swimming in the sea, love having that experience and a lot of people are missing out at the moment.
She visited Sandbanks with Simon and believes the matting put out on the sand isn't sufficient.
She says the lack of accessibility is a countywide problem:
"I've been to a fair amount of beaches and this Sandbanks is the only beach I've actually seen with the little matting as it is. I would say you would find a struggle at most of the beaches.
"The idea is good, but it's kind of paying it a bit of lip service really. You can't get to the sea from there. If you're in a wheelchair, like Simon, you can't go anywhere from there. You're basically stuck in the middle of the sand."
Which beaches are best?
Out of 40 beaches here in Dorset, only seven have measures in place that allow wheelchair users access to the sand.
Those include beach wheelchairs, floor matting that gives wheelchairs a smooth surface, and a Changing Spaces toilet, which provides facilities for wheelchair users to move into a beach wheelchair.
Weymouth and Boscombe beaches are the only two in Dorset that use Mobi-matting, beach wheelchairs and have a changing spaces toilet.
Sandbanks has mobi-matting and beach wheelchairs but does not have a changing spaces loo.
Emma says something's got to change. She wants beaches to lay out boardwalks that are easier for wheelchairs to traverse.**
"Having been fortunate enough to support people on holiday in other countries, they have wooden boardwalks that go right the way from the prom to the sand.
"There's changing facilities at a lot of those facilities and the boardwalk does give you a bit of a stretch so you can walk along the beach and particularly down to the sea."
A spokesperson for BCP Council said:
“We use mobi-matting on our beaches due to its durability and flexibility as it allows us to remove it easily and re-lay it after periods of bad weather. This system is used at beaches around the world and during windy periods when we incur a great deal of sand movement, this matting is the most practical solution for access closer to the shoreline.
“We are committed to ongoing improvements to both facilities and accessibility across our seafront and these will be at the heart of plans when the seafront strategy consultation goes live later this month. During the consultation, we’ll welcome ideas from all our residents and we will be promoting opportunities to take part and have your say on our channels.”