Texas Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham, M.D. is pleased to announce the Texas General Land Office (GLO) Coastal Management Program (CMP) is purchasing mobility mats and beach wheelchairs in 2023 in order for local governments to use these mobility aids to help make Texas beaches easier for all to enjoy.
"As Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office and a Texan who spent over a decade of my life living on the coast, ensuring all beachgoers, including those with disabilities, can enjoy our beautiful beaches is one of my top priorities," said Commissioner Buckingham. "With the help of the Coastal Management Program, communities across the Texas coast can continue improving accessibility to make our coastline even more welcoming for all.”
CMP began utilizing interlocal agreements to provide mobility mats and beach wheelchairs to local governments in 2010. To assess individual needs, CMP reached out to each eligible local government. The following coastal communities accepted an agreement to utilize the mobility mats and beach wheelchairs:
- Town of Quintana: two rolls of mats (50ft per roll)
- Village of Surfside Beach: two rolls of mats (50ft per roll), two chairs
- Galveston County: two rolls of mats (33ft per roll), one chair
- Jamaica Beach: one chair
- Port Aransas: two chairs
- Galveston Island Park Board of Trustees: three chairs
- City of Galveston: four rolls of mats (50ft per roll), one chair
- City of South Padre Island: two rolls of mats (50ft per roll), one chair
- Cameron County: two rolls of mats (50ft per roll), two rolls of mats (16ft per roll)
- City of Corpus Christi: two chairs
- Nueces County: four chairs
These additional mobility aids will not only help enhance access for beachgoers with disabilities, but will also help local governments comply with the newly amended Texas Administrative Code requirements for Americans with Disabilities Act access to the high tide line in areas where vehicles are prohibited from the beach.
The Coastal Management Program, a federally approved program funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), works to improve to the management of the state’s coastal natural resources. As part of these efforts, and a cornerstone of the CMP’s grant program, is ensuring and enhancing coastal public access for all.