Town rolls out sand-accessible wheelchair mats

The Town of Huntington has rolled out its first sand-accessible wheelchair mats for town beaches.

The first 6.5-foot “Mobi-Mats” were unveiled by town officials at Crab Meadow Beach last week. The town has approved up to $12,500 in funding for additional wheelchair mats at Asharoken Beach, Fleets Cove Beach, Gold Star Battalion Beach and Quentin Sammis West Neck Beach. Matching funding from the Huntington Community Development Agency is expected to be approved to purchase the mats before the opening of the summer beach season in 2021, according to a town statement.

Centerport resident Dylan Thompson suggested the town provide the Mobi-Mats at its beaches in June.

“I’m really grateful and happy that the town has listened to me by making the Mobi-Mats available at seven town beaches,” Thompson said in the statement. “These mats are really going to help a lot of people, not just disabled beachgoers like myself. That really makes me feel lucky to have been able to help so many people.”