Families sprawled across Jetty Beach in Oak Bluffs Tuesday to celebrate efforts to make Island beaches more accessible. 

The Beach Within Reach project, an initiative between Healthy Aging Martha’s Vineyard, Dukes County and Martha’s Vineyard Community Services, has been analyzing dozens of beaches across the Vineyard to help managers make them easier to navigate for people of all abilities.

The group issued a report early this year on its findings and held a party Tuesday to cheer the addition of beach mats, floating wheelchairs and other aids that have become fixtures at places such as Jetty Beach.

From left to right, Jamie Loschen, Dick Cohen, Iris Freeman, Cindy Trish and Tony Lima. — Ray Ewing

Dick Cohen, the Dukes County associate commissioner for disabilities, said the group chose the Oak Bluffs stretch of shoreline, also known as Marinelli Beach, because it has made some of the most substantial progress in terms of accessibility.

“This one is the jewel. This one has made the most progress, and is probably 98 per cent compliant with the standards,” said Mr. Cohen. “It’s because of how far they’ve come in a matter of three months that we chose this beach. It’s really a model for the rest of Oak Bluffs, and certainly for the Island.”

Jetty Beach stands out for its accessible parking, a highlight that is rare among Island beaches. There is about 500 feet of path between the parking lot and the beach, all of which is covered by beach mats. 

For a beach to be accessible, the mats have to reach the high water mark so people can get from their cars to the water.

“That’s the key, to be able to independently get from the parking lot to the beach,” Mr. Cohen. “And now, with these mats, and some of these other features, people can, without assistance, get to the beach and even get into the water using floating wheelchairs.” 

One party attendee, Lucy, said her nephew uses a wheelchair and she wanted to share the efforts being made towards accessibility with her family, who visit the Island every summer. 

“It’s always an accessibility issue on the Vineyard. Oak Bluffs has accessibility issues in town even, so this is nice to see,” said Lucy, who declined to give her last name. 

Despite progress at Jetty Beach and other beaches, such as Menemsha, there is still more work to do here on the Vineyard, Mr. Cohen said. He pointed to more accessible parking and better signage so beach visitors know what accessible routes and mobility aids are available to them.

Kate Lefer, the program director of disability services at Martha’s Vineyard Community Services, said Tuesday’s party encapsulated what the group is trying to achieve on Martha’s Vineyard.

“To me, this is a truly inclusive event,” she said. “People came to this event, but there are also people who came to the beach who have joined us. It’s an integrated event, instead of creating separate spaces.”