Small Town News

State park offers Mobi Mats

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The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control Division of Parks and Recreation has installed new Mobi Mats at Cape Henlopen State Park as part of a trial program at Delaware state parks. The demonstration project is a cooperative program with the City of Rehoboth Beach. The mats, made of rigid, corrugated polyester fabric, provide a path over the sand to the beach and ocean that can be used by people using wheelchairs or those with other mobility issues, including senior citizens.

"Reaction is very positive so far, and we hope to expand the program to our other beach parks," said Charles Salkin, Division of Parks and Recreation director. "Delaware state parks take pride in being proactive in providing universal access. Our beach parks provide other amenities, including two special beach wheelchairs that allow wheelchair users to travel from the Mobi Mat into the water. Of course, all parking areas and rest-rooms are accessible, and ramps and boardwalks traverse the sand over the dunes."

The Mobi Mats are lightweight, easily rolled and staked down and are mobile, so they can be removed easily and quickly in case of high tides. Currendy, two 50-foot-long sections that are 5 feet wide provide the path to the beach, while a 33-by-6-foot-wide mat provides room for wheelchairs to turn and park.

The technology behind Mobi Mats is widely used by the military to move large equipment and vehicles in desert regions. To learn more about accessibility features at Delaware state parks and recreational opportunities, visit www.destateparks.com.

Source: Delaware Division of Parks and Recreation





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