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Access to our beaches is essential for health, independence, and inclusion. As Theo Karantsalis wrote, everyone should be able to reach the water safely, not just those who can walk easily on sand. Accessible paths, like beach mats, allow people with disabilities to participate fully in community life, therapy, and recreation instead of being sidelined by terrain.
For people like Heidi, who has risen above her limitations and found strength in adaptive activities from sailing to tennis to sled hockey, the ocean is more than recreation. It is a source of physical and spiritual renewal. When she can get into the water, she feels a strengthening that is both healing and empowering. That opportunity should belong to every resident and visitor who needs it, whether they use a wheelchair, a walker, a cane, or any other assistive device.
Kat Magnoli has also been a leader and a voice for disability inclusion in Miami Dade. Her advocacy has reminded us that accessibility is not just a checklist item but a commitment to equity and human dignity. She has spoken about how true accessibility creates opportunities for independence and participation that transform lives. Including her voice in this conversation reflects the broad community support for meaningful action.
The Problem: Promises Without Results
Miami Dade County and Miami Beach leadership have repeatedly spoken about equity and inclusion, yet their budgets and priorities tell another story. Significant money has been allocated over the years for accessibility improvements, but too often those dollars do not translate into real infrastructure. Instead of permanent, reliable beach mats and clear access points across our shoreline, people with disabilities are still struggling through the sand or forced to turn away altogether.
When funding meant for accessibility is diverted, delayed, or lost in layers of bureaucracy, the result is exclusion. The truth is that ribbon cuttings, photo opportunities, and glossy promises have come before meaningful solutions.
The Sabrina Cohen Foundation has worked hard to change this reality. Since 2016, its Adaptive Beach Days program has helped hundreds of people experience the beach with equipment, mats, and volunteer support. The City of Miami Beach even awarded a 2.5 million dollar matching grant and committed public land for a planned 27,000 square foot three story adaptive recreation center with a rooftop pool, fitness and therapy spaces, and indoor and outdoor amenities. The County allocated 577,000 dollars in bond funds for infrastructure tied to the project. Yet the center is not built. The Foundation still needs to raise another 8 million dollars to complete the facility, and there has been little transparency about timelines or milestones. In the meantime, access is limited to pop up beach days, not year round solutions.
A Call for Vision and Accountability
This is not just about compliance with federal law or checking off ADA boxes. It is about dignity. It is about ensuring that every member of our community has access to the same spaces and the same experiences. It is about leadership that sees inclusion as a responsibility, not a press release.
We must demand transparency on how accessibility funds are spent, regular reporting on beach access improvements, and a real plan to ensure that every public beach has safe, functional, year round accessibility. The people of Miami Beach and Miami Dade deserve nothing less.
If we can spend millions on vanity projects and overdevelopment, we can make sure our beaches are truly open to all. We must grow this leadership together.
Ya gotta fight, for the right, to walk to the beach!
Beach access and ADA access is very important. However, more important is affordable housing, infrastructure and the fact that our workforce can't get to the beach easily.