Can this new ramp help people like Sophie access the sea? (2025)

Sophie Geeves says it is widely accepted that Sydney beaches are inaccessible to people like her.

She loves going to the beach, but due to her cerebral palsy it is not a simple task.

Ms Geeves uses a walking frame or powered wheelchair, both of which are difficult to manoeuvre on the sand.

When she goes for a swim, she needs the assistance of at least two people and has to be carried to enter the water.

Ms Geeves says accessibility to Sydney beaches is very limited and she finds current options, such as beach wheelchairs, difficult to use.

"They're quite hard to manoeuvre with the big wheels and also they're not very stable when it comes to getting in the water," she says.

Ms Geeves hopes the remote-controlled folding ramp can change the way she and others with physical disabilities enter the sea.

Sea Access Australia, a company that offers a remote-controlled folding ramp, held a demonstration for the NSW Water Ski Federation Disabled Division at the Manly Vale Dam in Sydney on Sunday morning.

Effortless entry to the sea

Ms Geeves attended the demonstration after discovering the company at a disability expo.

"I've been waiting pretty much my whole life for something like this," Ms Geeves says.

Using the new ramp, she was able to independently control how she entered the water.

"It was amazing. For the first time ever, it felt effortless to get into the water," Ms Geeves says.

"It's quite a supportive seat and it's got a seatbelt as well, so you can strap yourself in."

The portable device can be placed next to the shoreline and has a 10-metre-long motorised ramp that transports the user into the ocean. The attached controls allow the user to determine when they enter the water.

Mario Vella, co-founder of Sea Access, says he brought the ramp to Australia after seeing its success in Greece.

"It's autonomous, so the person in the chair gets to operate it. They're in full control," Mr Vella says.

"So one of the things that's really helpful [with the ramp] is that you're able to just sit on the chair and then float off rather than having to stabilise the chair yourself and then try and get in the water."

Ms Geeves believes elderly beachgoers would also benefit from this device.

Independence is everything

Rodrigo Ocano suffered a T5 spinal cord injury over a year ago and now uses a wheelchair.

He says being independent means a lot.

"After people who have suffered injuries like me, we want to come back and be as independent as much as we can," Mr Ocano says.

"It can be hard because you depend on a lot of people to help you with many things.

"This mechanic ramp just makes you feel that like you can do it by yourself, and you don't need any help."

Before Mr Ocano's accident, he lived in Bondi and would swim at the beach three to four times a week.

Due to his limited mobility and the inaccessibility of Sydney beaches, going for a quick swim is now a frustrating experience.

"For how many beaches that are around Sydney, accessibility for paraplegics and quadriplegics is not really there yet. It's one of the things that is very frustrating," Mr Ocano says.

"I just want to go [swim] when I want to go, and I don't want to have to depend on anyone to help me."

Mr Ocano believes rolling out an automatic ramp across Sydney beaches would improve accessibility significantly.

"It would be incredible for people in general because you just need, perhaps like, only one lifesaver to put this ramp close to the beach, you jump in and then because it's all remote control … you just go down [into the water]."

Ramp only usable in calm waters

Mark Grierson, chief executive of Disability Advocacy, says he is supportive of all moves to make beaches more accessible.

However, he is sceptical of how the device would work in rougher surf.

"I'm not an expert on beaches but, I mean, for me, access to a flat beach or a protected beach it may work, but I can't see it working in a beach with more waves," Mr Grierson says.

Sea Access recommends the device be used in calmer water for a more pleasurable experience.

Mr Grierson says the changing environment of the beach is often a significant challenge for accessibility measures.

"Each beach is so different, there's erosion issues at lots of beaches these days, the tide changes quite considerably," he says.

"So you know getting in there [for a person with limited mobility] is quite a work of art sometimes."

Mr Grierson would like to see more basic accessibility options, such as access ramps or beach mats, available but still believes this could help those with limited mobility access the water

He also encourages more options, like this ramp, that enable an individual's autonomy.

"It would be much better if people were autonomous and the environment was built so they could easily access things, for sure," Mr Grierson says.

Sea Access says it has approached local councils across Brisbane and Sydney and are having ongoing discussions about implementing the ramp at their local beaches.