The Traveling Wheelchair

South Shore Drive
South Yarmouth , MA  02664
http://cozybeach.com/cape-bassriver-beach.shtml

Alas! After finding a hotel that has a wheelchair accessible room, my mom and aunt finally found a public beach on Nantucket Sound that is fully wheelchair accessible and it’s located on South Shore Drive. There is a large parking lot in front of the Bass River Beach and the cost to park is $12 on weekdays and $15 on weekends. There are weekly and annual passes available at a cost savings. They do not offer discounts or free parking to the disabled with handicap placards like our Massachusetts  State Beaches and Parks and other town beaches do. They do have many handicap parking spaces right up front.

The Bass River Beach has one beach wheelchair that they loan to the disabled. It is a first come first serve basis so you can’t reserve it. If you would like to use this beach wheelchair, just ask the parking lot attendant and he will call the lifeguard who will bring it to the parking lot for you.

The snack bar area is in the parking lot located near the restrooms. This area is wheelchair accessible and has cement to maneuver your wheelchair on. This area also has picnic tables with attached benches so it may be hard to get your wheelchair close to the table.

The restrooms at this beach are very wheelchair accessible. They have a large handicap stall with all the ADA required safety bars. The sinks are accessible and have the protective covering around the exposed pipes under the sinks.

Bass River Beach has a boat dock that wheelchair accessible. There is a wooden ramp leading to the dock. There is a very large pier at this beach where many fish off of and catch great fish. This fishing pier is very wheelchair accessible and has a nice long and wide wooden path leading to it from the parking lot.

There is another cement area right before the beach which has benches along the side. This area has a sign posted which states: “This project has been Funded by the Dept. of Housing and urban Development Through an Entitlement grant to the Town of Yarmouth”.

Bass River Beach has a very nice wooden ramp leading to the beach from the parking lot. It also has railings for safety and the slope is nice and easy to wheel a wheelchair  up or down this ramp. The beach has nice white soft sand and lifeguards on duty when the beach is open.

Kenny and Company give Bass River Beach FOUR STARS. In order to earn the Fifth Star they would need to offer free parking for disabled with handicap placards just like our Massachusetts State Beaches and many other Town Beaches offer.