Beach wheelchair provided at Umina

A beach wheelchair has been donated to Umina Beach Surf Club to allow people with disabilities access to the beach.

Disabilities group Life without Borders donated the chair made by Beachwheels Australia.

"Umina was chosen as a suitable beach due to the enthusiasm for the beach wheelchairs shown by the president and members of the surf lifesaving club," said the group's area manager Ms Heidi Tucker.

"Access to the beach via ramps to the sand and car parking provided by the council made it ideal.

"People with disabilities were missing out on access to the very beautiful beaches which are a key feature of the Central Coast," Ms Tucker said.

This meant that many families with people with disabilities were also unable to access the beach, she said.

Beach wheelchairs allowed wheelchair users to be wheeled down to the water across sand, which was normally impossible with standard wheelchairs.

Use of the beach wheelchairs could be reserved through the club, but they may be used without reservation if they were not already booked.

The wheelchairs would be available for "anyone who wants to enjoy the beach and who cannot either walk across or get their own wheelchair across the sand," Ms Tucker said.

"If the interest is strong this summer, Life Without Barriers on the Central Coast will certainly try to obtain more chairs to ensure more beaches are accessible to everyone."

Life Without Barriers is a non-profit organisation which provides services to people with disabilities and young people in crisis.

Heidi Tucker, October 29