Wheelchair-accessible beach draws a crowd: Touquet's disability-friendly shore becomes bustling hub of activity
On Tuesday, August 12, a heartwarming scene unfolded at Touquet beach in the Hauts-de-France region as 26-year-old Emma Antoine, a woman with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome, took a dip in the sea for the first time in ten years. Accompanied by her two-year-old nephew, Tidiane, Emma's swim was made possible by the Handiplage program, an initiative designed to make French beaches fully accessible for people with reduced mobility.
Touquet is one of the 144 cities in France recognised by the Handiplage association, and it holds the highest level of certification. The beach offers a sandy stretch of 6 kilometers, equipped with access ramps leading directly to the water, floating beach wheelchairs, and adapted showers and changing cabins.
Emma's swim was assisted by two people who held a specific swimming equipment called Tiralo, a device with bright yellow floats. The Tiralo helped prevent the equipment from tilting, ensuring a safe and comfortable experience for Emma. It is possible that the Handiplage program provided this equipment, as well as additional assistance or accommodations.
The Handiplage program goes beyond physical infrastructure, offering trained staff to assist persons with disabilities, ensuring safety and comfort. Personnel at Touquet beach help with aspects like assisted bathing and provide guidance on site. The program also offers inclusive leisure activities, such as adaptive sailing sessions, where participants are active crew members, not just passive passengers.
The Handiplage program aims to enhance independence and inclusion, improve quality of life and wellbeing, promote inclusive tourism, and raise awareness for inclusion. By providing accessible beaches, the program allows people with disabilities to access and enjoy water activities with dignity and autonomy, promoting mental and physical health.
Emma's father, Hervé Antoine, finds it "very physical" to take her to the beach, but the Handiplage program's social and welcoming environment, prioritizing ease, safety, shade, and space, creates a non-clinical atmosphere that is welcoming to friends, family, and carers alongside persons with reduced mobility.
As Emma and Tidiane laughed and swallowed salty water with each wave, they were among the hundreds of bathers at Touquet beach, demonstrating the success of the Handiplage program in making beaches more accessible to all.
The Handiplage program, with its focus on mental and physical health, offers inclusive leisure activities such as adaptive sailing sessions, allowing individuals like Emma Antoine with Pitt-Hopkins syndrome to experience water activities with autonomy. Science and health-and-wellness are intertwined in this initiative, as it aims to enhance independence and quality of life, promoting mental health for those with reduced mobility.
