The town has been awarded a $92,000 Americans With Disabilities grant to make Devereux Beach more accessible to people with disabilities. The improvements should be in place by this summer.
“This is really good news,” said Laurie Blaisdell, chair of the town’s Disabilities Commission.
The grant should fund upgrades including:
- More Mobi-mats, which are nylon mats people in wheelchairs can use to navigate the beach.
- A second Mobi-chair that helps people with disabilities get into the ocean.
- A new cut-away picnic table convenient for people in wheelchairs.
- New handicap parking spaces that are level and ADA compliant.
- Proper access to the bathrooms.
Rec & Parks Superintendent Peter James applied for the same grant last year but didn’t receive it. This year, he worked with Sustainability Coordinator Logan Casey and Blaisdell and received the funds.
The $92,000 has to be spent by June 30, and retired town planner Becky Curran is working part-time to get the projects out to bid.
The Disabilities Commission is meeting Wednesday, Feb. 12, at 4:15 p.m at Abbot Hall to prioritize the pieces of the project and see what can be covered by the $92,000. That meeting is open to the public.
