More All-Terrain Wheelchairs for N. Oregon Coast, Now at Netarts, Pacific City

Published 07/13/23 at 6:51 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Pacific City, Oregon) – Two more spots on the Oregon coast now have some greater accessibility for those with mobility challenges, as Pacific City and Netarts acquire new all-terrain track chairs that allow people to roam on a much wider variety of natural surfaces than normal wheelchairs could. Those two hotspots in Tillamook County have the unique chairs through charitable foundation David's Chair, letting people check them out and go for some serious beach excursions.

Tillamook Coast Visitors Association (TCVA) made the announcement this week, with Netarts and Pacific City joining Seaside and Manzanita in having chairs with these track systems.

“David’s Chair is a charitable foundation that provides these chairs for communities in Tillamook County, where residents and guests want to be able to enjoy our beautiful beach access, even when it gets more challenging,” said TCVA.

In Netarts, the chair is available at Happy Camp Hideaway, 825 Happy Camp Road, and in Pacific City at PC Pour Wine Bar, 33310 Cape Kiwanda Drive. There is also a David’s Chair in Manzanita at the visitor center at 31 Laneda Avenue. To reserve a chair, go to https://davidschair.org/request-a-chair/ or call 503-812-5510.

Central Oregon coast towns Florence and Newport are working on getting chairs as well.

These are special vehicles that can wander on not just sand but into pools of water and over rocky shores as well. This opens up much more mobility than even the other sand wheelchairs, such as at the cobblestones you might find at the very northern edge of Manzanita, or the bumpy edges of Netarts and Pacific City.

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“Being able to have a David's Chair here in Pacific City is a joint venture of PC Pour, local resident Jeff Kallevig, Meg's Beachwood Bar and Grill, and Nestucca Rural Fire Protection District,” said Bob Papke, owner of PC Pout. “At the time, Jeff was working at PC Pour and felt that the location would be ideal for people who wanted to access the beach. He brought the idea to my wife, Tina, and me about how he envisioned safe storage for the chair on PC Pour property. Jeff donated his labor to create the storage area for the chair, and the wheels literally started to turn.”

In addition, PC Pour and Meg's Beachwood have added Gilgamesh Brewing's David's Chair beer to their selection. The brewer donates a portion of all proceeds to David's Chair. The chair is installed and ready to go and the beer is ready to enjoy. The charity is also planning a local event to create awareness during Dory Days on July 15th from 10am to 4pm.

In Netarts, Bruce and Teresa Lovelin, owners of Happy Camp Hideaway, heard about the chair and volunteered to host it. Bruce built a storage shed, and Tillamook Coast Visitors Association (TCVA) donated funds to David's Chair to get it placed there. The Friends of Netarts Bay (WEBS), will also help the Lovelins with reservations and daily maintenance.

In Manzanita, a donor, Vincent Saulino, funded the chair in honor of his late wife, who became disabled and could no longer enjoy the beach she loved so much to visit.

TCVA has been working closely with the county, cities and nonprofits to make accessibility a primary initiative for those living and visiting Tillamook County. TCVA just completed an Accessibility Assessment of county parks, working with Ashley Schahfer, founder of Empowering Access, a disability and inclusion consulting firm. The study was funded in part by a grant from Travel Oregon.

For more information on mobility resources, go to https://tillamookcoast.com/mobility MORE PHOTOS BELOW

MORE PHOTOS BELOW

Above: Netarts / Oregon Coast Beach Connection

Below: Pacific City / Oregon Coast Beach Connection

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Andre' GW Hagestedt is editor, owner and primary photographer / videographer of Oregon Coast Beach Connection, an online publication that sees over 1 million pageviews per month. He is also author of several books about the coast.

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