Manatee Beach made ADA accessible

There’s a new feature at Manatee Beach, one that helps make the beach more accessible for everyone. County leaders installed a 100-foot-long mat as part of an initiative to meet accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The 6-foot wide mat extends a quarter of the way across the 400-foot width of Manatee Beach, ending in a 12-foot landing area where users can rest and enjoy views of the sand and surf. Made of recycled metals, the mat is slip-resistant and is planned to stay in place year-round except during severe storm threats. The mat does not extend out into areas where sea turtles typically nest and does not impede the raking of the beach outside of sea turtle nesting season, which runs from May 1 - Oct.

A new 100-foot-long beach mat was installed on May 1 on the north side of Manatee Beach to assist in making the sand more accessible to those who are mobility challenged.

31. Located at the north end of the concession and retail building at Manatee Beach, 4000 Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach, the new beach mat walkway is open to everyone.