After 18 months of inactivity due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Adaptive Beach Days program in Miami Beach successfully relaunched this month to provide ocean access to disabled residents.

The monthly event uses specialized beach wheelchairs and equipment for those with paralysis and other disabilities so they can trek through the sand and enjoy the saltwater of the ocean. The program will continue until the fall, with dozens of volunteers and nonprofit organizations coming together to host the event.

A recent relaunch event featured a $41,000 donation from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation National Paralysis Resource Center to the Sabrina Cohen Foundation (SCF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing adaptive fitness and recreational programs. Since providing funding to launch the program in 2016, the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation has donated $150,000 to SCF to help 8,000 people from South Florida and globally experience a beach day and ensure the program can continue providing unique experiences to the handicap community.

“I’m so excited to get our community back on the beach and experience the freedom and joy associated with being in the water after waiting for a year and a half,” says SCF Founder Sabrina Cohen. “The continued support from community leaders and organizations including the Christopher Reeve Foundation is inspiring and validates the importance of this movement.”

Adaptive Beach Days last from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the second Sunday of the month through November at 6475 Collins Ave. Along with Adaptive Beach Days, SCF is partnering with Miami Beach to develop an Adaptive Fitness & Recreation Center, an oceanfront facility built exclusively to help individuals facing mobility challenges.

For more information on the Adaptive Beach Days, visit Sabrinacohenfoundation.org.