Irish Wheelchair Accessible Beaches July 2018

For a full list of wheelchair accessible beaches click here.

For many people getting onto a beach this summer, especially in fine weather, is one of life’s great pleasures. Days out at the sea are defining moments in family life and childhood. DFI have therefore, been working with local authorities all over Ireland, to open up an increasing number of Irish beaches to people with disabilities.

This week Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown and Clare local authorities have joined this progressive move towards opening up our beaches to everyone.

This is not only a move towards greater inclusion but also makes economic sense.  Accessible tourism is a lucrative niche market which is yet to be fully exploited in Ireland. It is estimated that 1 in 5 tourists visiting Europe will have some disability or mobility difficulties by 2020.

• The European Accessible Tourism Network estimate a €142bn increase in GDP if the tourism market was accessible.
• An aging population, which accounts for 65% of the accessible tourism market, means that demand is now outstripping supply.

Disability can happen to anyone at any point in life so this is good news for everyone.

For a full list of wheelchair accessible beaches click here.