As most, if not all, of you know, my wife, Charlyne, uses a power wheelchair. She serves on the Charleston County Parks ADA Accessibility Committee and might be a valuable resource for the city on ADA accessibility issues and concerns.
She recently experienced an issue on one of the newer beach access paths. She moved to one side of the walkway to allow a beachgoer pulling a fully loaded beach wagon to pass. In doing so, her wheelchair rolled off the edge of the path. Thankfully, she was not injured. However, she was unable to get back onto the path without assistance.
She asked me to let the city know about the issue. The pathway would be much safer if 4x4 or 4x6 edging extended the entire length of the path to the beach. The edging would act as a curb and help prevent someone using a power wheelchair from accidentally rolling off the side, as she did.
For what it's worth, I wanted to pass along her concern.
I know grant funding was used to make improvements to the beach access, and those improvements are great, much needed and appreciated. One small addition that could make a significant difference for someone using a wheelchair would be to add a 6-foot-by-6-foot turnout on one side of the path. This would allow someone in a wheelchair to pull safely out of the way and enjoy the view for a few minutes without blocking others using the walkway.
Thanks again for all the time and talent you bring to the table on behalf of the island's residents.