Patient perspectives on the benefits, barriers, and facilitators of beach accessibility for individuals with mobility limitations: A local pilot study

<p dir="ltr">Aim: To determine the benefits, barriers, and facilitators of beach access for individuals with mobility limitations. Design: Anonymous online cross-sectional survey. Method: A 39-item survey was developed and administered to explore perspectives of people with mobility limitations regarding beach accessibility. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse beach use and barriers and facilitators of access. Results: Sixty-three people completed the survey. Two-thirds (65%) of respondents were female, aged 6-90 years (mean=50). Mobility physical assistance was required by 41% of respondents, with 81% requiring a community mobility aid. Half (50%) of respondents were unable to visit the beach as often as wanted, with 45% unable to visit at all. The most frequently reported barriers to beach access included difficulty moving on soft sand (81%), no specialised mobility equipment (78%), and inaccessible leadup pathways (76%). If beach access were improved, 86% of respondents reported they would visit the beach more often, for increased time, and 91% would have an improved experience. The most frequently reported facilitators of beach access were the presence of accessible sand walkways (88%), leadup pathways (83%), and parking (80%). Activities most likely to be engaged in were physical (30%) and social (31%). Conclusion: Individuals with mobility limitations have limited beach access, primarily due to a lack of accessible equipment. Improved accessibility would facilitate participation in health-promoting physical and social activities. </p><p dir="ltr">Key Practice Points: </p><p dir="ltr">• Improved beach access may improve health outcomes and physical activity levels in people with mobility limitations. </p><p dir="ltr">• Accessible beaches may be a platform for novel beach-based therapies.</p>