Wheelchair user says Galway has failed to evolve into an accessible city — ‘I feel like a prisoner in my own home’
The controversy over Galway’s unused beach mats for wheelchair users has highlighted a much larger issue, casting a spotlight on the accessibility barriers that continue to shape daily life for many people across the city.
Earlier this month, Galway City Council discussed the rollout of beach wheelchair mats, currently lying idle in Leisureland. While council management committed to exploring suitable locations, concerns were raised that many local beaches may not be suitable due to tidal pulls.
However, for many wheelchair users, the lack of beach access is one part of a much larger issue. Some say they feel “segregated from society” because Galway has failed to evolve into a truly disability-friendly city.
The Irish Independent spoke to a wheelchair user who wishes to remain anonymous. She described how large parts of her life became inaccessible after sustaining a life-changing injury over a decade ago.
Becoming a wheelchair user showed her that “Galway is the most disability-unfriendly place,” she said, adding that the image of accessibility promoted through official channels often bears little resemblance to the reality disabled people experience every day.
The beach mat debate is one example.
Several beaches along the Salthill Promenade still have large steps leading onto the sand, with no ramp access, making them inaccessible to many wheelchair users.
She believes photographs used to promote accessibility can often be misleading.
“There’s a photograph used of a person on it, in a wheelchair. How did they get down that step?” she asked.
A large step down to the access ramp in Salthill.
“Most people in a wheelchair can’t get down unless they’ve got a specialist wheelchair, and [in the photo they] don’t have a specialist wheelchair. That’s why it’s always so misleading, because that picture makes it look like [the beach is] being used.
“That makes us look like liars when we fight against it and say, ‘Hang on, we can’t access that’, yet the public is going, ‘but there’s someone with a wheelchair down there,’ which completely misrepresents the situation.”
She argues that beach access is about far more than recreation.
“One of the most important things people don’t realise is that a lot of us use the beach for therapy. Sitting on the sand, putting our feet on the sand or getting into the water actually relieves pain.
“We don’t need a fu*king beach carpet. We need full access.”
The beach access mats were introduced in 2021. At this time, the mats have not been rolled out yet. © Ability West
Although three beach wheelchairs are available through Leisureland, she said accessing them is not always straightforward and, in her experience, staff are often unfamiliar with the service.
She recalled her one and only attempt to check one out, only to be met with confusion on arrival as the wheelchairs were locked with no access.
“I absolutely love the beach, but I can’t get down to it,” she added. “We never bothered trying again.”
The lack of accessible facilities throughout the city, she said, often pushes wheelchair users into isolation.
There are only a handful of places where she feels comfortable going independently: a coffee shop, the cinema and, on occasion, the Prom. Even then, she is not guaranteed the same experience as everyone else.
“I don’t get out very much. It’s horrendous. I literally feel like a prisoner in my own home most of the time.
“I feel very excluded. I know what it’s like to be included. I’ve often thought that if I had a miracle and I was walking again, I would still advocate for disabled people because I feel we’re an abused part of society.
“You find that this exclusion constantly wears away at your heart.”
Perhaps most striking, she said, was the change in how people interacted with her after she began using a wheelchair.
She believes many people are simply not accustomed to engaging with disabled people because they remain largely absent from public life.
She added, disabled people are too often portrayed as either helpless or dishonest.
“People don’t have manners when it comes to people with disabilities. They don’t know how to talk to us. I don’t understand why, because I’m just as human as you are.”
In 2023, Ability West donated beach friendly wheelchairs to coincide with an accessible beach mat into the water. © !!!
Ultimately, she added that she wants to see a genuine partnership between disabled people and local authorities, one based on listening rather than consultation for consultation’s sake.
Her message is simple: “Make it positive. Invite us. Include us.”
Under the Outdoor Swimming Infrastructure Fund, the council is set to receive €25,000 for beach wheelchairs and storage.
Galway City Council Head of Tourism, Sally Ann O’Brien said those funds will be allocated “to support the install self‑service beach wheelchair stations at Salthill, Silverstrand, and Ballyloughane.” The rollout is expected to take a couple of months.
Leisureland in Salthill, Galway City.
In a statement to the Irish Independent, Galway City Council said it is “committed to ensuring the city is accessible to all and is currently implementing a number of practical measures including removal of kissing gates, enhanced access to parks and amenity areas, footpath restoration and dishing of kerbs.”
The council added it is recruiting a dedicated Access Officer to work closely with disability representative groups.