Miami Beach Debuts Adaptive Beach For Those With Disabilities
MIAMI BEACH (CBSMiami) - Living in South Florida, going to the beach is a fun, relaxing, activity people love doing when they are not at work.
Except for those with physical disabilities or paralysis who rely on a wheelchair. The sand makes it extremely difficult to maneuver and getting into the water is almost impossible without assistance. This is something Sabrina Cohen knows all to well.
Cohen has been in a wheelchair since her early teens. Instead of resolving to never have fun on a beach again with her friends, she did something about it.
She teamed up with the City of Miami Beach to help improve beach access for those with disabilities. On June 23, 2014 the Miami Beach City Commission voted unanimously to approve the land use of the public space (Allison Park) at 64th and Collins Avenue for the project.
On Sunday Cohen, the Founder and President of the Sabrina Cohen Foundation (SCF), checked out the fruits of their labor first hand, the first fully adaptive beach and playground for our disabled residents and visitors.
In addition to the adaptive beach and playground, SCF plans to launch and operate a diverse menu of adaptive fitness and recreational programs and activities. There are also new beach wheelchairs which assist users getting into, and out of, the water along with plans for hand cycling on the boardwalk.
It was emotional day for Cohen, who using the special wheelchair, was able to get into the ocean for the first time since she suffered a severe spinal cord injury in 1992 at the age of 14 from a car accident.
The Sabrina Cohen Foundation (SCF) is a nationally recognized 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to funding cutting edge research and innovative therapies that will provide a better quality of life for individuals living with paralysis.
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