This morning I was sitting in the sun with my beagle on one side and spitz on the other. Both wanted equal time with my attention. The temperature was 65 degrees with low humidity and not a cloud in the sky. Life can’t get much better than this.

When I returned to my office, I saw this New York Times article by Elisabetta Povoledo on Italian beaches. You can read the entire article by clicking on the title below.

It reminded me of why we quit going to the beach. We found most beaches not accessible to the handicapped. Just getting down to the beach can be a problem. Once you are there, you still need a way to navigate across the sand. Fortunately, I now understand some beaches are more accessible and equipment rentals are available. Yet, most beaches still do not have adequate facilities for those of us with progressive disorders that cannot be easily transferred.

ForItalians with Disabilities, a Place in the Sun

“FOCENE, Italy — On a recent summer morning, one lido on the beach at Focene, west of Rome, was bustling. Italians of all ages and sizes sizzled on sun-bleached chairs. Children splashed happily among the waves, and a group of senior citizens exercised (gently) to a mambo beat.

But there were also visitors rarely seen on other Italian beaches: people with disabilities being eased into the water on special chairs with fat tires, with the help of family members and volunteers.

This summer, like all summers, Italians thronged the thousands of resorts and lidos that pepper the country’s coastline, staking out swatches of sand among colorful umbrellas arranged in cramped rows.

It’s a time-honored national pastime enjoyed by millions. But the seaside establishments that accommodate people in wheelchairs are few and far between….”