I met "The Sarah's" early this Saturday morning at Cronulla Beach. It was a perfect place to be and brimming with sand, surf and sun seeking Southern Sydney Siders. There were the Little Nippers, dog walkers, groups of friends in activewear, people doing tai chi, toddlers running and squealing with glee, emerging and veteran surfers and ocean swimmers. 
Today there was an extra group of Beach Goers - the Wave Warriors. Set up early and eagerly awaiting their first intrepid adventurer - a young boy with his family. Wave Warriors is an event held twice a year, by an organisation called Skillz4me. Their reason to be is simple: to assist people of all ages, and all disabilities, to participate in community activities and to have fun. They recognise the barriers that stop people with disabilities and their families from being engaged in sports and recreations and come up with solutions to overcome them.
Skillz4me are a registered charity run by a team of social workers. Their website explains that they are all about finding ways to share experiences and achievements with people with disabilities. I spoke with one of the Sarah's who told me the events are hugely popular and an opportunity for people, many with life limiting disabilities, to get in the ocean. 
For many people, the seemingly simple act of even "dipping a toe" in the sea is impossible. Beaches, with their sand, their tides, their stairs and rocks do not readily open themselves up for people with disabilities, and particularly, as Sarah said, for people who are wheelchair users.
There are not many beaches that are accessible, because it requires there to be parking, access from the car park to the beach, and right facilities. This includes: a non-slip and low gradient ramp to the sand, a Mobi mat from the ramp to the water, beach wheelchairs and an accessible change room, preferably with a ceiling hoist and if not, access to a mobile hoist. Luckily Sydney's famous South Cronulla Beach in Bates Bay is one of them. And incidentally, it happens to be the only beach in Sydney with direct train access. Or so I'm told. I never verified that.
So how do they make it happen? They need the right weather - and today was perfect. They need the right equipment - hoists, shower commode chairs, slings, beach wheelchairs and beach access - Cronulla has this. They need the people - the volunteers who help people with accessing and using the change room and getting into the water. Of course, they very much need the fabulous participants and their families. And they also need the sponsors - the Cronulla RSL being one of those proud supporters. 
South Cronulla beach was made accessible in 2009, with the installation of the ramp onto the sand, just to the right side of the park as you are facing the water. A limitation is that the foreshore the ramp extends from can only be accessed via a steeper incline from the car park. If you are using a manual wheelchair and you don't have great upper body strength, you will need someone to help you get to the boardwalk. Also, if you drive, there are limited disabled parking pozzies, and they are popular.
In Cronulla and "The Shire" more broadly, the beach really is the heartbeat of the community, so I am pleased that there is wheelchair access. If you wish to visit and need to find out more, here are some links: 
Sutherland Shire Play and Explore
GetAboutAble
So good luck with your adventures!

The Sydney Sutherland Shire is not synonymous with great accessibility. The bushland and Sydney Sandstone are quintessentially Aussie, but wheelchair friendly it aint. However, there are some options for wheelchair users and mobility impaired nature lovers.

A pearler is the Joseph Banks Native Plant Reserve, Kareela. You won’t get around the whole reserve, but you can drive into the heart of it, where you will find a wheelchair accessible parking spot, toilet block and accessible BBQ facilities. The best part though is the accessible nature trail, clearly marked, that leads to a lookout over the Georges River. You may even spy a Blue Winged Kookaburra.

Elegant Luxury
The Ampersand Hotel in South Kensington, London, has style by the effortless bucket load, and the good news for intrepid travellers, is that the luxury extends to it's accessible features and facilities. The hotel proclaims it's accessible policy on it's website, but of course I am always dubious.

I have to cast aside my doubts and tell you this place is five star accessible. There are 6-7 rooms earmarked as accessible, from basic to deluxe. We were shown a superior room, considered slightly larger at 16-18 square metres and in the 'mid-range' category.

What makes the accessible rooms remarkable is not only are the bathrooms full wet rooms, they are gorgeous, spacious and literally flush to floor. There is a double shower head as well. The beds are a good height for a manual transfer, but if you are travelling with a mobile hoist there is ample turning and circulation space to the right hand side of the bed. The bed and bathroom have an emergency system, and a shower chair is available. If you are a shower commode user you will have plenty of space.

The corridors are wide as are the doorways. If I was going to nit pick, the carpet is potentially a little hard to wheel over, and there is a small lip at the door thresholds. But that is nit picking.

The restaurant is accessible from the street by a lift system and the accessible bathroom on this floor is well appointed and again, spacious. There are meeting rooms at this level too, if you feel the need to work.

Situated in the 'super posh' South Kensington, you are at the foot of the heart of London. Whilst the Ampersand has bent over backwards to provide you with accessible comfort, obviously there are inherent access issues at some shop fronts. However the pathways, crossings and most shops in this little piece of heaven are accessible.

I will write more on accessible Chelsea later (for shopaholics), but back to the Ampersand. Someone told me it means old friend. It doesn't, but it could. The staff go out of their way to be of assistance. Of all it's good points though, I'd come back for that bathroom alone.

The Ampersand Hotel, South Kensington, London.
www.ampersandhotel.com