Bedroom on West Side of Unit
- 25” tall queen bed. Custom 5” box spring allows for plush pillow top mattress.
- Space for large wheelchair to get to east side and bottom of bed, closet, lamp, dresser, heating/cooling unit and TV. Space for small wheelchair to get to west side of bed.
- 3 ½’ (half of the closet) has lowered rod for clothes.
- Wall mirror at lowered wheelchair height.
- Space for large wheelchair to get to east side and bottom of bed, closet, lamp, dresser, heating/cooling unit and TV. Space for small wheelchair to get to west side of bed.
- 3 ½’ (half of the closet) has lowered rod for clothes.
- Wall mirror at lowered wheelchair height.
Bathroom Attached to Above Bedroom
- Double doors have been installed on the east side of the bedroom leading to the bathroom. When the doors are open, there is an approximately 4’ wide space in front of toilet and sink which greatly opens up the bathroom.
- Roll under sink. Lowered shelves on both sides of sink for toiletry items.
- Lowered light switches which control above sink lights and overhead light/fan.
-Lowered towel rack on back of door.
- Optional toilet riser with arms which easily attaches to toilet without tools.
- Optional padded shower chair with back and adjustable leg length. Shower wand with on/off switch on handle. Soap dish in center of wall at height that is reachable when seated. Weighted shower curtain to keep water in the shower.
Note: The bathroom does not have a roll-in shower. The base of the shower floor is 8” off the ground with a 2” lip above that to keep in water. The shower itself is approx. 5’x2 ¼’. When placed in the shower at its lowest height, the shower chair is 22 ½” off the ground of the bathroom floor.
- Roll under sink. Lowered shelves on both sides of sink for toiletry items.
- Lowered light switches which control above sink lights and overhead light/fan.
-Lowered towel rack on back of door.
- Optional toilet riser with arms which easily attaches to toilet without tools.
- Optional padded shower chair with back and adjustable leg length. Shower wand with on/off switch on handle. Soap dish in center of wall at height that is reachable when seated. Weighted shower curtain to keep water in the shower.
Note: The bathroom does not have a roll-in shower. The base of the shower floor is 8” off the ground with a 2” lip above that to keep in water. The shower itself is approx. 5’x2 ¼’. When placed in the shower at its lowest height, the shower chair is 22 ½” off the ground of the bathroom floor.
Miscellaneous Amenities
- Entire unit has tile floors, with easy to roll over area rug in living room.
- Spacious living room with easy access to both couches and heating/cooling units.
- Dining room table tall enough to allow rolling under, even for most electric wheelchairs with joystick. Space around dining room table to accommodate a wheelchair.
- Thick floor mats at front door entrance and living room balcony to make access easier.
- Small kitchen counter area that is roll under to allow easy access to microwave.
- Grabber and long hook.
- Books, DVDs, stereo, and games placed on shelves to be reachable by someone in a wheelchair. Living room flat screen TV mounted and DVD player on a shelf at a lowered height to be reachable by someone in a wheelchair.
- Spacious living room with easy access to both couches and heating/cooling units.
- Dining room table tall enough to allow rolling under, even for most electric wheelchairs with joystick. Space around dining room table to accommodate a wheelchair.
- Thick floor mats at front door entrance and living room balcony to make access easier.
- Small kitchen counter area that is roll under to allow easy access to microwave.
- Grabber and long hook.
- Books, DVDs, stereo, and games placed on shelves to be reachable by someone in a wheelchair. Living room flat screen TV mounted and DVD player on a shelf at a lowered height to be reachable by someone in a wheelchair.
Islander East Beach's & Other Galveston Beaches' Amenities
- The Islander East condo building has a ramped walkway (no stairs) that goes over the dunes and down to the beach. A regular manual or most electric wheelchairs can fit on it.
- The sand at the base of the walkway is somewhat thick, but most of the beach is compact sand. It is likely someone in a manual wheelchair could manage the compact sand if someone could help them through the thicker sand.
- A beach wheelchair with large tires will not fit on the walkway, but directly next door to the condo building is a public parking lot with access to the beach. The parking lot is dirt and somewhat bumpy with small rocks, but it is flat and allows the dunes to be bypassed.
- Throughout the island there are beaches (sometimes called “parks”) that have manual beach wheelchairs available for free, but it costs $8/car to enter the beach. The beaches that currently have wheelchairs are: Stewart Beach (closest to condo, visible from balcony), East Beach/Apffel Park, Dellanera Park, Pocket Park #2, and Pocket Park #3. (Information as of March 2011)
- Along the Seawall there are places that have ramps down to the sand at no cost. There is parallel parking along the street on the beach side (easy for a van with a ramp), with disabled parking spaces here and there. The island even has beaches where you can drive your car onto the sand. And, if you are more interested in the ocean, the 61st Street fishing pier is one of many that are accessible and it also has wheelchair accessible bathrooms.
- One of the most popular tourist attractions, Moody Gardens, is a 242 acre facility that has vans with ramps to transport disabled travelers throughout the complex. All of the buildings have ramps leading to the entrances and wheelchair accessible bathrooms. Their theatres have accessible seats with removable arms, the man made lagoons have ramps to get into the water, and the paddlewheel boat is accessible.
- There is a free ferry to Bolivar Island that offers great opportunities to watch dolphins in the wild. Unless you want to drive around Bolivar, rather than driving your car on, park in the parking lot and walk/roll onto the ferry. (If you drive on it might be impossible to let a ramp out of a vehicle.)
- While The Strand and Postoffice Arts District have the same problems as other downtowns with some places not being wheelchair accessible, it’s my opinion that there are enough accessible quaint shops, galleries, and restaurants to make it a great area to visit. If a place looks inaccessible be sure to ask because some of the not-to-be-missed places are accessible through a side door. Fortunately there are good ramps at each corner and plenty of parking lots with disabled parking spaces.
These are the main attractions I have enjoyed on Galveston Island. I am sure there are many more that are great for wheelchair users, but it is hard for me to give a firsthand account of them. I am addicted to the sand and the surf, and it is hard to pry me away from the beach.
- The sand at the base of the walkway is somewhat thick, but most of the beach is compact sand. It is likely someone in a manual wheelchair could manage the compact sand if someone could help them through the thicker sand.
- A beach wheelchair with large tires will not fit on the walkway, but directly next door to the condo building is a public parking lot with access to the beach. The parking lot is dirt and somewhat bumpy with small rocks, but it is flat and allows the dunes to be bypassed.
- Throughout the island there are beaches (sometimes called “parks”) that have manual beach wheelchairs available for free, but it costs $8/car to enter the beach. The beaches that currently have wheelchairs are: Stewart Beach (closest to condo, visible from balcony), East Beach/Apffel Park, Dellanera Park, Pocket Park #2, and Pocket Park #3. (Information as of March 2011)
- Along the Seawall there are places that have ramps down to the sand at no cost. There is parallel parking along the street on the beach side (easy for a van with a ramp), with disabled parking spaces here and there. The island even has beaches where you can drive your car onto the sand. And, if you are more interested in the ocean, the 61st Street fishing pier is one of many that are accessible and it also has wheelchair accessible bathrooms.
- One of the most popular tourist attractions, Moody Gardens, is a 242 acre facility that has vans with ramps to transport disabled travelers throughout the complex. All of the buildings have ramps leading to the entrances and wheelchair accessible bathrooms. Their theatres have accessible seats with removable arms, the man made lagoons have ramps to get into the water, and the paddlewheel boat is accessible.
- There is a free ferry to Bolivar Island that offers great opportunities to watch dolphins in the wild. Unless you want to drive around Bolivar, rather than driving your car on, park in the parking lot and walk/roll onto the ferry. (If you drive on it might be impossible to let a ramp out of a vehicle.)
- While The Strand and Postoffice Arts District have the same problems as other downtowns with some places not being wheelchair accessible, it’s my opinion that there are enough accessible quaint shops, galleries, and restaurants to make it a great area to visit. If a place looks inaccessible be sure to ask because some of the not-to-be-missed places are accessible through a side door. Fortunately there are good ramps at each corner and plenty of parking lots with disabled parking spaces.
These are the main attractions I have enjoyed on Galveston Island. I am sure there are many more that are great for wheelchair users, but it is hard for me to give a firsthand account of them. I am addicted to the sand and the surf, and it is hard to pry me away from the beach.
From Our Family to Yours
We know that the condo is not perfectly accessible in every way for every person, but we hope the steps we have taken make it easier for persons in a wheelchair or with mobility limitations.
If you choose to rent unit 504, we hope you have an excellent stay!
If you choose to rent unit 504, we hope you have an excellent stay!
A Special Thanks to these websites dedicated to accessible travel. We appreciate you spreading the word about our condo!
DisabledHolidays4U
Global Access News
MAKOA/Disability Travel and Recreation Resources
Mobility-Advisor
MossRehab ResourceNet - Accessible Travel
Rebecca's Travels
Wheels Traveler/World on Wheels
DisabledHolidays4U
Global Access News
MAKOA/Disability Travel and Recreation Resources
Mobility-Advisor
MossRehab ResourceNet - Accessible Travel
Rebecca's Travels
Wheels Traveler/World on Wheels
