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A day on the beach to recognise International Day of People with Disability (IDoPwD) couldn’t be more appropriate for Whyalla.
We have one of the best foreshores in the country and it is becoming more and more accessible for people with a disability.
There is work already being done to have beach wheelchairs and roll-out beach mats available so the Whyalla Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) has decided to hold an event on the December 3 national disability day to further promote beach accessibility for everyone.
The idea for the event came from YAC committee member Cyanne Westerman who, along with her twin sister Zia, lives with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy.
Cyanne and Zia have also put up the idea of roll-out mats for Whyalla in the Fund My Neighbourhood program. Also, earlier this month the Whyalla Access Group presented three beach wheelchairs to the community of Whyalla with the help of the British and American Motorcycle Club and the Whyalla Lions Club.
To keep the ball rolling, the YAC-organised day will be a further recognition of people in Whyalla living with a disability. Cyanne and fellow YAC member Kiraly Harris extensively surveyed local people living with disabilities on how they would like to acknowledge/celebrate this day to come up with the program for the day.
“We have engaged a Victorian company call Push Mobility to come to Whyalla and demonstrate the use of roll-out beach mats and beach wheel chairs,” Cyanne said.
“This will help people living with disabilities or limited mobility to access the beach.
“All too often we are told that families get to enjoy the beach but if a family member has a disability then they do not get to go on the beach and experience the sand between their toes.”
Push Mobility uses a system called Mobi Matt which ensures beach access for all and also runs an Australian-wide program called Accessible Beaches which hasn’t been held in regional South Australia before, making Whyalla’s IDoPwD event a first.
The Push Mobility team will be utilising the beach wheelchairs provided by the Whyalla Access Group at the Whyalla IDoPwD. These chairs are not available to the general public at the moment while the necessary paperwork and insurance is put in place.
Whyalla Mayor Lyn Breuer will open the Whyalla IDoPwD event which will run from 11.30am until 3pm on Sunday, December 3. There will be an accessibility challenge obstacle course, sensory play area, sand art, free face painting and bouncy castle, Drumbeat workshop with Alison, Mobile Coffee Café and a sausage sizzle with entertainment from Emily Rawlings, Jasmine Moder and Brie Ryan.
For more information on IDoPwD go to http://www.idpwd.com.au/about/
To find out more about Push Mobility visit http://pushmobility.com.au/beach-access/ and you can book you can book 15 or 30minute trials in two different types of chairs, the Da Vinci and the Mobi-chair, by going to https://pushmobility.gettimely.com/book
Pictured: Cyanne and Zia Westerman who are working hard to provide beach access in Whyalla.