“The ocean isn’t just something you look at. It’s for
people to go in and take a swim. And so barrier-free beaches are really
fun for people with disabilities and their caregivers,” says Masahiro Sakakibara, Chair of the Shonan Barrier-Free Tour Center, who served as a lecturer for this tester tour. Indeed, the people with disabilities who participated in the test tour noted: “Honestly I was surprised at how much fun it was. My daughter, who has a disability, really came alive, and for my part I had lots of fun, too! The amphibious wheelchair is wonderful! As her parent and as a person without any disabilities, I really enjoyed myself at the ocean. I think the rentals are great for going to the ocean, so when we go again I definitely want to do a rental.”　“Using a specialized device, and with everyone’s verbal support, I was able to relax and enjoy the ocean like I normally wouldn’t.” These are some of the many positive comments received.

Niijima is a quiet, beautiful island located some 160 kilometers to the south of Tokyo, offering beautiful pristine waters and white sandy beaches—to the delight of the visitor. Kurone Beach, situated nearby the Port of Niijima—gateway to the island—served as the barrier-free beach venue. There are showers and changing rooms, plus barrier-free restrooms in the neighboring Niijima Port ship passenger waiting area.

Participating travel agencies and other related businesses were offered an experiential session pertaining to the barrier-free beach event. As part of preparations, a workshop was held the day before the event on operations and know-how. Mr. Sakakibara, the lecturer, talked about how we should approach people with disabilities, objectives of the barrier-free beach event and things to note, as well as key points of operations. In the past, when Mr. Sakakibara was working as a medical device engineer, he was inspired by the sight of people with disabilities relaxing at the beach in Sweden, which he was visiting for training purposes. He told us that this was when he decided to introduce the concept of the barrier-free beach in Japan. He acquired access mats, amphibious wheelchairs, and more, launching their use at Zaimokuza Beach, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture. At present, his organization assists and operates some 50-plus barrier-free beaches around the nation.

The day of the event began with operations on the barrier-free
beach. Access mats known as Mobi-mats were placed from the seawall to the water’s edge to create a path for wheelchairs. The access mats enable people and vehicles to come through even in sandy or snowy conditions. Caregivers push the participants in regular wheelchairs along the access mats, which means they can proceed tor the water’s edge even in electric wheelchairs, making the process easier. For this barrier-free beach event, we prepared wheelchair-pulling devices (JINRIKI) and amphibious wheelchairs（Mobi-chair）. This means that even if we lack access mats, the participants can move along the beach with the help of their caregivers.

For the event, the people with disabilities on the tour and their caregivers proceeded to the water’s edge using wheelchair-pulling devices and amphibious wheelchairs, and then got into the ocean waters. Checking on the tides, the attendants used a system of three or more people assigned to each person with a disability. The event lasted two hours. Once in the water, both the people with disabilities and their caregivers enjoyed the time. Everybody really had fun swimming using amphibious wheelchairs and floating rings.