Wheelchair users can enjoy the water in Oittaa in the summer
The beach in the Oittaa recreational area has had an accessible jetty for swimmers for over ten years.
Thanks to the long concrete jetty, wheelchair users are able to swim at one of the most popular beaches in Espoo.
"The challenge is that the section between the accessible changing room and the jetty is soft sand, which makes it difficult to move to the jetty, at least for those who are alone. The area should be covered with asphalt, or a ramp should be built," states Petri Forsman, outdoor sports manager at the City of Espoo.
Oittaa offers dedicated accessible changing rooms for wheelchair users. Both changing rooms also include a wheelchair intended for swimming. This allows visitors to keep their own wheelchair dry. You can open the electric lock on the changing room door with a code that you can request from Oittaa Outdoor Recreation Centre.
"The changing room is only for changing clothes; it doesn't have showers or sauna facilities. But in the summer, the place will have outdoor showers," Forsman adds.
Oittaa also offers an accessible departure jetty for canoeing. It helps wheelchair users to get into a canoe smoothly and their assistant to push the canoe in the water.
"The departure jetty is available to all. It also makes it easier to get into a canoe if you have any problems with your legs or back."
Espoo pays attention to accessibility when building new exercise facilities, and there are various requirements for different types of facilities. For example, most of the sports parks and indoor swimming pools feature accessible solutions.
"With outdoor exercise facilities, taking accessibility into account is a bit more difficult, and places such as fitness stairs cannot be made fully accessible. However, in places like nature sites, we have tried to ensure easy access to the trails and campfire sites, equip bridges with edges that protect wheelchairs, and build railings and grips that make moving about easier," Forsman lists.
As for winter sports, Espoo pays attention to accessibility by not widening the skiing tracks downhill so that sledge skiers can ski down. This is done in Oittaa, for example.
Check the location and basic information of Oittaa Beach.
Text: Thea Ekholm