Wheelchair users cannot access Mayo beach over mat issue

The Irish Wheelchair Association says its members are being discriminated against on a Blue Flag beach in Iorras, north Mayo because they have been denied permission to use wheelchair accessible beach mats.

The mats are in storage because Mayo County Council will not insure them, saying they are not the property of the council.

For people like Mary Walsh and her 13-year-old daughter Grace being denied access to the beach is a huge disappointment.

Ms Walsh said: “I grew up around here and used to spend my summers on the beautiful beaches in this area.

“And now I can’t get my daughter onto Elly Bay beach (Trá Oiligh).”

“She is a wheelchair user and it is heartbreaking that we have rows and rows of these mats lying in a shed when we could be down there by the seaside instead of looking on from the car park and feeling excluded,” she said.

Ms Walsh said her daughter, Grace, is “nonverbal aswell but she gets excited in the outdoors, and I want her to have the best quality of life we can afford her”.

She added that Grace has “a right to access the strand”.

The mobility beach mats were funded by Sláintecare Healthy Ireland at a cost of around €5,000 and Mayo County Council agreed to them being used until the issue of insurance arose.

It says it is not covered because the mats are not the property of the council.

National Access Manager with the Irish Wheelchair Association, Rosaleen Lally, said that “unfortunately, when it came to insurance, we faced huge barriers”.

“Mayo County Council said they cannot insure the mats because they don’t own them,” she said.

Ms Lally added that “even if they did own them there would still be an issue so it’s obviously ‘red tape’ and highlights the ongoing discrimination faced by people with disabilities right across the country”.

She said that “all Mayo County Council have to do is get these mats on their public liability insurance”.

“I know they obviously have issues with their insurance company but that’s something they need to deal with and get it sorted,” she said.

“It’s a simple matter of including people with disabilities and not discriminating against them,” she added.

Ms Lally said that Blue Flag beaches “should be accessible”.

“EU standards require these beaches to meet the criteria for wheelchair accessibility,” she said.

She described the mats as “essential”, adding that they are “not a luxury”.

For these wheelchair users living in the coastal Gaeltacht area of Iorras, the new mats were a source of great excitement as many would be able to access the beach directly when heading out on bus tours.

Teresa Gaughan was born with Spina Bifida and joined the IWA Local Access Group last year.

Ms Gaughen said that being able to go to the beach is “something magical and therapeutical”.

“Belmullet has two beautiful Blue Flag beaches but unfortunately nether of them are wheelchair accessible,” she said.

The access group lobbied hard to get Mayo County Council to put certain equipment in place which would allow access onto the beach in an individual’s own chair.

Ms Gaughen said that while the beach buggy is great for younger members, she cannot use one as she requires a hoist to get in and out of the buggies and this is not available at either beach.

“The beach mats are ideal, they allow me to get onto the beach with my own chair and enjoy beach time with my family and friends,” she said.

“But Mayo County Council are refusing to insure these mats on the beach, thus they cannot be put down, so once again people with disabilities are excluded,” she added.

Ms Gaughen said this is a “crying shame and in complete violation of our rights under UNCRPD and frankly we will fight this to the bitter end”.

“I cannot understand why these beaches are awarded Blue Flags when they are clearly not wheelchair accessible, and Mayo County Council are burying their head in the sand if they think we are going to let this happen,” she added.

Mayo County Council issued a statement to RTÉ News, but did not refer to the beach mats.

It said it “is committed to working with local clubs and communities through Mayo Sports Partnership to create more opportunities to increase participation in disability sport and physical activity”.

The council said that beach wheelchairs “are in place on some of our Blue Flag beaches in the county to make them more accessible.

It said it is “working with partners and stakeholders in creating physical activity opportunities for people with disabilities”.

The council said this work is “ongoing” adding that the “local authority are happy to engage with organisations such as the Irish Wheelchair Association to assist where possible”.

“This week is Sports Ability Week with Mayo Sports Partnership is providing over 25 different activities available to people with a disability to try out and get involved in,” it added.

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Ms Lally said wheelchair buggies are really useful, but most are donated to organisations and the insurance issue remains.

She said: “In addition, many of the members wouldn’t be able to use a beach buggy without having a hoist on site.

“They are not suited to a lot of our members.”

She said that there is “no question that the mats provide the greatest ease of access to beaches for most of our wheelchair users”.

“We really hope the council will see sense and sort this out before the summer is over,” she said.