Huntington Beach Unveils New Mat for Disabled Beachgoers
The City of Huntington Beach rolled out a new tool May 5 that gives disabled beachgoers an opportunity to get closer to the ocean.
Known as a “Mobi-Mat”, the 150-foot pathway lies on top of sand, extending from the sidewalk to the shore. There is an extended area toward the end of the mat, which allows about five people in wheelchairs to be in or near the water. It is located near the city’s pier off 6th Street.
Huntington Beach Councilmember Natalie Moser spearheaded the project, when six months ago she began talking to the family of a 14-year-old boy Kumaka Jenson, who was born with a spinal cord condition called spina bifida. The project has been actively in the works for about four months, according to Huntington Beach assistant to the city manager Catherine Jun.