Puerto Vallarta may soon have a beach that caters to the disabled. Municipal authorities in the Jalisco city are planning to develop what would be the state's second disabled-inclusive beach, using Cuastecomates Beach in the southern municipality of Cihuatlán as a model.

Cuastecomates became the first such beach in Mexico two years ago through a 47 million peso investment (about $2.3 million USD) that converted the small coastal town's infrastructure, leaving it ready to receive disabled visitors of all ages.

During last week's meeting of the gender equality and human integral development commission, headed by Norma Joya, it was decided that a group of lawyers from Puerto Vallarta would travel to Cihuatlán with the aim of acquiring more information on developing a beach that would allow people with disabilities and seniors to enjoy this tourist destination without obstacles.

The visit took place last Friday, where the group studied the facilities and services that Cihuatlán has put into place to give people in wheelchairs easy access to Cuastecomates Beach, including specialized roads, ramps and rest rooms, tourist maps and signs in Braille, and specially designed beach wheelchairs, amphibious crutches, nautical chairs and vessels for snorkeling.

Traffic & information signs throughout the town of Cihuatlán inform visitors of the accessibility for the disabled, who can enjoy the length of the beach from a wooden deck.

The plan is now to emulate the municipality of Cihuatlán, not only in developing a beach that is duly enabled for the handicapped in Puerto Vallarta, but also in updating municipal regulations for the inclusion and integral development of people with all kinds of disabilities.

Sources: Noticias PV • Mexico News Daily • El Universal