The City of Houghton and ELK Receives Grant for Accessible Beach Wheelchair

The accessible beach wheelchair that is available for use at Kestner Beach in Houghton.

The City of Houghton, in collaboration with Equipment Loans of the Keweenaw (ELK), received a grant from the Keweenaw Community Foundations’ Copper Shores Community Wellness and Recreation Fund to fund the City’s accessible beach wheelchair for Ray Kestner Waterfront Park initiative.

“After Jen Shaud and I successfully added ice sleds at the Dee Stadium, Jen suggested we apply for a grant to add an accessible beach wheelchair at Kestner Park. I’ve seen them used at beaches on the East Coast, and I agreed with Jen that it’s a great idea to provide one to our community,” stated Eric Waara, Houghton City Manager.

Thanks to a generous grant from the Keweenaw Community Foundation, a beach wheelchair is now available at Kestner Beach in Houghton for community members to borrow. The wheelchair will provide access to the beach for the elderly, people with physical disabilities, and anyone who finds navigating sand difficult.  

“Borrowing the beach wheelchair is free. It can and should be used by anyone who has trouble walking across the sand. It is appropriate for people who use mobility aids such as walkers, crutches, and wheelchairs, but it also can be and should be used by people with balance, endurance, and sensory issues. If getting across the sand is a barrier, this may be the answer,” said Jen Shaud, grant writer for Equipment Loans of the Keweenaw (ELK).  

An adult can borrow the chair for free from Portage Paddle Sports, located at Kestner Park, for up to 2 hours at a time. The beach wheelchair can be used at either beach at Kestner Park. It is designed to go across grass, sand, and water.

The grant writing for the beach wheelchair is an excellent example of how local municipalities and organizations can collaborate to improve our community. Last Fall, the Accessible Keweenaw Initiative (AKI) chose Kestner Park as one of 20 places in the Keweenaw area for Superior Alliance for Independent Living (SAIL) to evaluate and make recommendations about accessibility.

“During the AKI conversations about Kestner Park, the lack of accessibility at Kester Park was very apparent. With a collaborative approach, we were able to write a grant to fund the beach wheelchair. I am so thankful to Eric Waara and Amy Zawada at the City of Houghton for being such excellent partners. As a person with a disability, I am thankful to live in a community that works together to make our area more accessible and for funders like the Keweenaw Community Foundation and Copper Shores Community Health Foundation for administering the grants that make this and many other projects possible,” said Jen Shaud, Equipment Loans of the Keweenaw.