In order to provide its visitors with easier beach access, the town of Kill Devil Hills has created its first FULLY handicap accessible beach access at the Ocean Bay Boulevard Beach Access at Milepost 8.5! This is wonderful news for families visiting the Outer Banks! Despite a string of beach accesses all up and down the coast, there are very few designed for wheelchairs and none of these were located in Kill Devil Hills - until now!
On Monday, May 13, 2019 at 10:00am, Kill Devil Hills will be hosting a Grand Opening Ceremony and Dedication Service at the access in honor of former Commissioner William "Bill" M. Pitt who is being recognized for his work with beach nourishment. The public is invited to join and celebrate this wonderful improvement with the town!
A popular access among locals and visitors alike, the Ocean Bay Boulevard Beach Access already features a paved parking lot with Handicap Parking spots, a public bathhouse, a wooden walkway to the sand, pet waste bags, and outdoor showers for rinsing sand. An additional improvement to the access includes a wooden handicap-accessible ramp which takes wheelchairs right from the parking lot to the beach. The key improvement to the access is the installment of fixed roll-out mats that lay on top of the sand to allow wheelchairs to be wheeled out to them on the beach. Although there are a lot of accesses with ramps, very few that accommodate wheelchairs out onto the actual beach and most do not roll through the sand easily. The mats are even designed to allow people with wheelchairs to put their belongings right off the mat and set up for a full day at the beach.
For those who need a wheelchair or who wish to get closer to the water, the town of Kill Devil Hills also purchased four wheelchairs for the access that are specifically designed to go through sand and take people to the water. These improvements mean it's now easier than ever for everyone to enjoy the beautiful Outer Banks!
