Within this study there were several key findings in regards to accessibility. The first finding was that smaller beaches outside of the main park area were more likely to have issues with the accessibility of their pathways. These issues limit the accessibility of the shoreline, by making it hard to navigate. An example is Juneway, the northern most beach in this study, which had no pathways on it to connect the shoreline to the nearby sidewalk.
The second finding was that the movement of sand onto pathways was a common issue on beaches that were predominantly sand. Almost every single beach with a sandy shoreline, had significant amounts of sand that had migrated onto the sidewalk, limiting mobility. An extreme example of this would be Lane (George), where sand migrated onto pathways even with concrete barriers.
The third and most prevalent finding, that I observed, would be a lack of accessibility to the shoreline, whether it be through walking on groins or beach matting. Groins are structures built perpendicular to the shoreline to prevent beaches erosion. Even on beaches with an easily found accessible way to get to the water, there were still issues, such as the beach matting being behind concrete barriers on Lane (George) beach.
Issues with beach accessibility exist throughout the entire Chicago shoreline and often intersect with other key topics, which are:
Implementation of current planning
The Chicago Park District is responsible for maintaining the Accessibility of Beaches, using initiatives from Chicago’s Disability Policy Office
16 of Chicago’s 31 beaches have accessible beach walks on them1
The North Lakeshore Trail also aids in increasing shoreline accessibility
Lack of Finances
Especially on smaller beaches; winter storms and other extreme weather events can cause damage to boardwalks, covered pathways, and ramps and restoring them is costly2
Uneven Distribution of Finances
Beaches on the southside haven’t seen the same amount of prevention measures and repair as those on the northside3
The Chicago Shoreline Protection Project which was authorized in 1996, still has two unfinished projects, both of which are located on the southside4
While my research took place in a rather limited location and period of time there are important conclusions that can be drawn from it:
Even with current accessible features there are still many areas for improvement
It is just as important to look at areas surrounding beaches as it is the beach itself
Accessibility is often impacted by location, season, and funding
Temporary and permanent accessibility features work best when used together
Beach accessibility for PLM is critical to study in a variety of contexts
(Chicago Park District 2025; Chicago Park District n.d.)
(Evans 2020 “This”)
(Evans 2019)
(Evans 2020 “South”; “Shoreline” n.d.)