Wade Watts
Mobility Facilitator, Watts Accessibility Consulting, & Canadian Representative, Mobi-mat
Corona Canada has teamed up with Mobi-mat to make beaches more accessible for Canadians with mobility challenges.
This May, Corona announced its Accessing Paradise Pledge, an ongoing commitment to make beaches (and beach sunsets) more accessible for Canadians with mobility challenges. The initiative kicked off with seven beaches across Canada. Three, including Sudbury Beach in Penticton, British Columbia, were selected by the brand and Mobi-mat, and the remaining four will be chosen by Canadians through crowdsourcing.
With its Mobi-mat, Corona has already transformed the first two beaches — Saint-Zotique in Quebec, and Wellington Beach in Ontario, with Sudbury Beach in Penticton, British Columbia next — and is now looking for Canadians to help pick four more.
Mediaplanet spoke with Mobi-mat’s Canadian representative, Mobility Facilitator Wade Watts of Watts Accessibility Consulting, about how Corona Canada is collaborating with Mobi-mat to transform Canadian beaches.
How did Mobi-mat become a partner in the Corona Accessing Paradise Pledge?
Wade Watts: A representative from Corona Canada reached out to me, as Canada’s Mobility Facilitator and Mobi-mat’s representative in the country, to explain what they had in mind for the project.
Through my fieldwork, I know that less than 15 per cent of Canadian beaches are accessible and we need to do more to help those with mobility challenges be able to enjoy the outdoors. So, when contacts from Corona explained its commitment to reconnecting people with nature, I knew we were on the same page and that myself and the work I do with Mobi-mats could help them with the Pledge.
What accessibility features are being added to the beaches?
WW: We’re installing Mobi-mats, semi-rigid roll-out portable pathways made with reclaimed ocean-bound plastics, to help create smooth transitions to shorelines. We’re also providing Mobi-chairs, floating wheelchairs for in-water accessibility, and Mobi-decks, which provide multi-purpose areas with added stability for beachgoers.
Corona’s pledge is aimed at ensuring Canadians with mobility challenges can experience sunsets at more beaches this summer.
How has this partnership contributed to this project and its seamless installation?
WW: To ensure the project’s success Corona Canada worked with Mobi-mat. The first thing to be done is an audit of the location, to see if there are accessible parking and accessible washrooms. We don’t want to put these accessibility upgrades in place somewhere that persons with mobility challenges can’t generally access and enjoy. I am personally onsite to help facilitate the installation and educate on proper maintenance, winter storage, and re-installation of the Mobi products.
What feedback have you received from visitors of the transformed beaches?
WW: It’s been overwhelmingly positive. Those facing mobility challenges can now access select beaches in their community with greater ease and security. I’ve been working with Mobi-mats for 10 years and have not had anything but good, positive feedback and tons of smiles.
How did the BC beach come to be included in the Accessing Paradise Pledge?
WW: I’m regularly in touch with locations across the country, we realized early after announcing the pledge that there was demand at some of British Columbia’s most beautiful beaches and after connecting with Corona we determined we could add one more beach to our efforts.
Visit coronaextra.ca/accessingparadise to nominate a beach that you believe should be made more accessible. Follow @coronacanada on Instagram to stay updated on its Accessing Paradise Pledge.
