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The city of Ashtabula has made several improvements to Walnut Beach, including new grills, tire swings and a mat to help people with disabilities to get down to the lakeshore.

ASHTABULA — There’s more fun in the sun for everyone at Walnut Beach Park, including beachgoers with disabilities.

People with disabilities can now make their way over the sand to the lakeshore, thanks to a new, 100-foot-long mat installed this summer as an extension of the boardwalk.

“The mat is called a Mobi-Mat and it allows those with disabilities to traverse the sand easier,” Ashtabula City Manager Jim Timonere said. “Our city Park and Recreation Board brought the idea forward and we have been putting the project together.”

The manager reached out to the Ashtabula County Board of Developmental Disabilities, who helped the city with the project by providing a $2,400 accessibility and inclusion grant. The grant paid for half of the mat’s cost, Timonere said.

“We were very appreciative to receive this grant and their assistance,” he said. “We will be working on other projects together to increase accessibility and inclusion for all residents and visitors to our parks.”

The Walnut Beach Accessibility Project aligns with the Ashtabula County Board of Developmental Disabilities’ mission to create a more accessible and inclusive community, said Manda Jackson, director of Quality and Community Outreach for the ACBDD.

“Through the Accessibility and Inclusion Grant, we are proud to support this initiative that will enable all visitors to enjoy Walnut Beach,” she said.

“We are deeply committed to providing access to public spaces for everyone in our community,” said Toni Scurpa, ACBDD superintendent. “This partnership exemplifies the kind of positive change that can happen when organizations come together to break down barriers and prioritize inclusion.”

Come winter, the mat will be rolled up and stored in the concession stand because of the ice that comes up on the beach, Timonere said.

The mat is made of 100-percent recycled polyester roll, and its production contributes to the environment by utilizing recycled plastics. The mat itself is recyclable, according to the Mobi-Mat website.

The mat is not the only new improvement at the beach — there are new grills for those who like to grill their food at the pavilions and, in addition to a pirate-themed playground, there are new tire swings.

“We had grills at the beach, but they were extremely old,” Timonere said, noting one grill is accessible to beach-goers with disabilities.

Walnut Beach Park, at West First Street and Walnut Boulevard, sits on the shores of Lake Erie in Ashtabula.

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