Beach access remains difficult for people with wheelchairs, but California has resources to help

Seeing her 24-year-old son dip his feet in the ocean water at the beach fills Mayra Garcia with joy.

“There is so much sensory stimulation that happens with the sand, the waves and the water,” she said.

Her son, Jared Garcia Cortez, was born with Dandy-Walker Syndrome, a brain malformation that leads him to use a wheelchair and severely limits his vision and hearing. She lives in Long Beach and has taken her son to the beach dozens of times this year.

“More than 30, I think, and we continue going because of the sensory stimulation. Going to the beach and being near the ocean helps him a lot,” she said.

Three years ago, Long Beach installed mats at three beaches to help people who use wheelchairs and walkers enjoy city beaches. But there’s a problem.

“They don’t reach the ocean,” Gar