DELAWARE - People are calling attention to accessibility downfalls in some communities along the coast.Â
Calvin Davis has been wheelchair bound since 2015. With a background in development, he said he has been fighting for better infrastructure for a long time.Â
"How can I go into the store if there's no ramp? How do I get into the door if there's no mechanism that allows access for a person on a chair?" he said.
While some businesses in the coastal communities have ramps and elevators to allow access to everyone, others are nearly impossible to enter if you can't walk.Â
Judith Davis has been helping her husband navigate cities with his wheel chair since his stroke.
"We are adjusting our expectations, I guess. And as one gets older, one learns that one is not able to go everywhere that we would like to go. And tourism is affected."
Getting down to the ocean can also be hard without a beach wheelchair or the ability to walk.Â
Rentable beach wheelchairs and mats are common on many Sussex County beaches to improve access for people with disabilities.Â
Some coastal communities are improving their accessibility standards ahead of summer. Come Memorial Day, Dewey Beach expects to have a 12 by 10 foot mat placed on Van Dyke street for additional access for wheelchairs or other mobility aids.
In Lewes, many of the historic buildings are considered for accessibility features when renovations are brought up.
"The cities opportunity to look at ADA compliance is when someone comes in for a renovation. If a business owner wants to come in for a renovation--that is looked through an accessibility lens and standards are applied."
