Oregon Coast Visitors Association Honored with TravelAbility Film Festival Award

Published 11/04/25 at 5:35 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Florence, Oregon) - The Oregon coastline is earning national recognition for its leadership in accessible travel, capping off a landmark year with a major accolade and a growing list of inclusive initiatives.

In a milestone announcement this year, Oregon became the first state to be verified for accessibility by Wheel the World, a global platform promoting inclusive travel. The Oregon coast played a pivotal role in achieving that designation, thanks to a wave of new efforts including expanded accessible experiences, the installation of EnChroma color-blind viewing glasses, and the rollout of Mobi-Mats at five additional coastal sites.

That momentum made Oregon a fitting host for the 2025 TravelAbility Summit, held at Sunriver Resort. There, the Oregon Coast Visitors Association (OCVA) joined tourism leaders from across the state to share strategies and celebrate progress in accessible tourism.

During the summit, OCVA was honored with the TravelAbility Film Festival Award for its Accessible Oregon Coast film series. Produced in collaboration with GLP Films and a network of coastal partners, the series highlights the region’s commitment to inclusive travel and the communities making it possible.

Earlier this year, OCVA launched a statewide film tour to premiere the series, spotlighting the coastal towns, tourism professionals, and accessibility advocates working to ensure the Oregon Coast is welcoming to all.

Gold Beach (courtes photo)

“We are deeply grateful to be recognized with this award - and even more grateful for the leadership and dedication of our partners who make this work possible,” said the OCVA team in a statement.

Earlier this year, the entire state of Oregon became the first state in the nation to earn the designation of “Accessibility Verified,” thanks to a partnership between Travel Oregon and global accessibility platform Wheel the World (WTW). The recognition marks a major milestone in the state’s efforts to make tourism more transparent, inclusive, and navigable for people with both visible and non-visible disabilities.

Mobi-Mat at Lincoln City

The Oregon coast more or less led the way on this accessibility movement throughout the state, starting several years ago when Cannon Beach, Seaside and other cities acquired wheelchairs that could be used on sand. After that, post-COVID, various towns also snagged all-terrain track chairs, largely through the organization David's Chair. Those motorized wheelchairs were able to wander a greater variety of beach environments.

As of 2024, towns that had one kind of accessibility chair or another included Cannon Beach, Seaside, Rockaway Beach, Pacific City, Coos Bay, Netarts (at Happy Camp), Garibaldi, Cape Lookout, Florence, Newport, Lincoln City and Gold Beach.

Meanwhile, Lincoln City, Seaside, Gold Beach and others also began using mobi-mats, which allow various wheelchair devices onto beaches. A variety of other features have arrived in towns or are en route, such as Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad receiving $66,500 to install Mobilift TX wheelchair lifts at each of its departure depots.

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