Ryde Beach Accessibility Project is officially open!

The official opening ceremony of Ryde Beach Accessibility Project took place on Wednesday 24 July at Ryde Harbour Beach, and it looked to be a great day!

The Ryde Beach Accessibility Project includes the installation of a boardwalk on the sand near the lifeguard station and marina beach and the purchase of sand and sea wheelchairs and walkers. 

A popular resort on the Isle of Wight, Ryde Beach is situated to the north of Ryde Town Centre. At nearly half a mile, the pier is the second longest in the country! The seafront is next to the town’s shops, pubs and restaurants and there’s lots to do nearby with a Peter Pan Playground, Appley Golf Course, a children’s play area and paddling pool, a boating lake, and a swimming pool with retracting roof. 

During the summer, the beach is cleaned daily, and, apparently, large amounts of seaweed are removed and taken to local farmers to use as compost. 

There are lots of parking facilities at Ryde Esplanade including car parks and off-street parking, with 26 accessible parking bays. Public toilets are clearly signed and all have designated accessible facilities which can be accessed with a Radar key. 

We were pleased to hear that – as well as a ribbon cutting to mark the celebrations - the full range of sea and beach wheelchairs and a rollator were on display at the official opening. 

During the opening ceremony, there were a number of people who were invited to speak at the event. They included Will Myles from Visit Isle Of Wight and Neil Chapman from Hovertravel and both spoke about the positive impact on the local tourism and economy of the beach improvements. 

Michelle Weatley, an ambassador of the beach accessibility improvements and someone who, along with her family, will benefit from the improvements, said, “Equipment such as a Changing Places toilet, a hoist and beach wheelchairs makes a location accessible to us as a family due to my son being entirely dependent on such items.

“We are able to spend a day out and about without the worry of somewhere to change. We can access the sand and sea via the boardwalk and beach wheelchairs. This equipment is life changing for us. We now hope that other beaches on the island will follow in the footsteps of Ryde and open up opportunities and experiences for those with limited mobility.”

We do have a disabled access review of Ryde Beach but we’d love you to submit an updated review if you visit the new accessible facilities at Ryde Beach.

Tags: ryde beach, accessibility, disabled access, isle of wight, summer, 2024, Beach Wheelchairs