Not everyone can easily enjoy the beach.

Soft sand can be tough to walk on for someone with physical limitations, nearly impossible if the beachgoer uses a wheelchair. Getting into the ocean can require special equipment or a helping hand for those who would not otherwise be able to enjoy the surf on their own.

Orange County Coastkeeper on Monday, June 24, announced the latest recipients of grant funding from the California State Coastal Conservancy that is aimed at expanding accessibility to the coastline through its Beach and Coast Accessibility Program.

The effort kicked off in 2024 with more than $100,000 in funding. This year, another $290,000 in new grant funds were approved for the program to purchase, maintain and promote accessibility equipment such as beach wheelchairs, walkers, mats across the sand and kayaks, officials said.

“When someone uses a beach wheelchair for the first time or finally gets on the water in an adaptive kayak, it can be an empowering and transformative experience,” said Genesee Ouyang, education director at Orange County Coastkeeper. “We’ve seen how these moments can be deeply emotional, sometimes even life-changing. That’s what this program is all about: helping more people connect with the coast and experience it on their own terms.”

Funding is open to tribes, nonprofit organizations and public agencies working to provide free access to adaptive equipment on the coast and near lakes, rivers, and bays.

“We view coastal access not as a luxury, but as a right everyone should enjoy,” Garry Brown, founder and president of Orange County Coastkeeper, said in a statement. “For decades, we’ve fought to keep beaches clean, public and protected from threats. Now we’re confronting another barrier: physical inaccessibility. Everyone should be able to experience California’s coast, and we’re proud to help make that a reality through this program.”

The latest grant recipients include local nonprofits Crystal Cove Conservancy, which manages a historic area dotted with cottages and a restaurant tucked between Laguna Beach and Newport, and Life Rolls On, a Southern California group that helps people with paralysis and other mobility disabilities ride waves.

Life Rolls On was awarded $30,000 to purchase 10 beach wheelchairs and 900 feet of access mats for its year-round events that take people with various disabilities surfing at Rincon, Santa Monica, Huntington Beach and La Jolla Shores.

Crystal Cove Conservancy was awarded an estimated $9,000 for new beach wheelchairs and maintenance parts to fix existing beach wheelchairs.

Some of its funds will also go toward outreach and marketing of the new equipment for public use.

“Everyone really cares about coastal access, we don’t want it to be privatized or hard to get to, we want it to be open, safe and accessible no matter what your background or accessibility,” said OC Coastkeeper spokesperson Matt Sylvester.

For more about the grants or to apply, go to coastkeeper.org/bcap.