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Fort Myers Sanibel Welcomes Travelers with Special Needs

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Welcome to The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel, Florida's unspoiled island sanctuary. Each area of The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel is equipped to accommodate visitors with special needs. The following information will help you maximize the fun and relaxation of your island escape. We hope you will find a user-friendly, barrier-free environment during your stay here.

Click to view The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel’s comprehensive Accessibility Guide. Created especially for people with disabilities, this resource contains accessibility tourism information about accommodations, attractions, beaches and parks, dining, local services and more. Quick-reference information is also posted below.

State Regulations

Florida state law requires guide dogs to be permitted in all establishments. Motorists must yield to people with white canes or guide dogs.

Out-of-state vehicles displaying disability parking permits or plates issued by another state are allowed to park in spaces designated for disabled people. Vehicles parked in disability spaces without appropriate permits or plates are subject to fines. For information about temporary tags, call the Lee County Tax Collector's office at 239-533-6000.

Beaches & Parks

The following listings indicate whether beaches and parks offer beach wheelchairs and, if so, whether they are courtesy or paid rentals.

Boca Grande & Outer Islands

Boca Grande Lighthouse Park – yes; courtesy

Cayo Costa State Park – yes; courtesy

Gasparilla Island State Park – yes; courtesy

Bonita Springs

Bonita Beach Park – no

Dog Beach – no

Cape Coral

Yacht Club Public Park – yes; courtesy

  • Free beach wheelchairs are available at the public pool.
  • Beach also has new ADA-approved playground for 2- to 5-year-olds with handicapped swing and access platforms to equipment.

Fort Myers

Bunche Beach – no

Fort Myers Beach

Bowditch Point Regional Park – no

  • Has beach access via mat.
  • Trails are mulched so could be accessed.

Little Hickory Island Beach Park – no

Lovers Key State Park – yes

  • Courtesy chairs; check-in at ranger station to request.
  • Tram has wheelchair lift.

Lynn Hall Park – no

Sanibel & Captiva Islands

Andi Rossi Lane Park – no

  • Kayak and canoe access only.

Blind Pass Beach, Bowman’s Beach, Captiva Beach, Gulfside City Park, Lighthouse Park Beach, Sanibel Causeway Beaches, Tarpon Bay Beach, Turner Beach: Courtesy beach wheelchairs provided upon 24-hour notice to the City of Sanibel Police Department, 472-3111, Dispatch. SPD contracts with Billy’s Rentals for free chairs, based on availability.

Wheelchair Rentals – Beach and Regular

Advanced Home Oxygen & Medical Equipment (serving Lee County)
3462 Fowler St.
Fort Myers
239-278-0060

Advanced Medical Products (serving Lee and Collier counties)
8955 Wake Fern Dr.
Bonita Springs
239-948-4340

Advanced Mobility Medical Depot (serving Lee County)
560 Pine Island Rd.
North Fort Myers
239-997-3000
www.allmobilitysystems.com

Billy's Rentals (serving the Sanibel & Captiva Islands area)
1470 Periwinkle Way
Sanibel
239-472-5248
www.billysrentals.com

Budget Mobility (serving Lee County)
12165 Cleveland Ave.
Fort Myers
239-936-5577 or 888-207-1013

Fun Rentals (serving the Fort Myers Beach area)
1901 Estero Blvd.
Fort Myers Beach
239-463-8844
www.funrentals.org

Happy Baby Rentals (serving the Fort Myers Beach area)
16401 Arbor Ridge Dr.
Fort Myers
239-765-7368
www.happybabyrentals.com

Scooters Plus (serving Southwest Florida)
3083 Cleveland Ave.
Fort Myers
239-337-1773
info@sosmed.com
Rentals and repairs, electric or manual.

Local Transportation

The following companies provide nonemergency medical transportation on a fee-for-service basis. Discuss fees before making an appointment for transportation.

AC Non-Emergency Transport – 239-368-2605

Advanced Quality Transport Service – 239-656-0911

Elite Transportation – 239-334-6001

Good Wheels – 239-768-6184

Lee Tran (Lee County Transit) – 239-533-8726, TDD: 239-277-5037, www.rideleetran.com. Reduced fares may apply if the user is elderly or disabled.

Other Local Services

Center for Independent Living
3626 Evans Ave.
Fort Myers
239-277-1447
TTY: 239-277-3964
Toll free: 888-343-6991
www.cilfl.org
Adaptive aids/equipment, disabled services and referrals, medical supplies and equipment.

Deaf Services Center of S.W. Florida Inc.
1860 Boy Scout Dr., Suite B208
Fort Myers
239-461-0334
TTY: 239-461-0438
www.dsc.us
Interpreter services for hearing-impaired people. Information, referral and assistive devices for demonstration and distribution.

Florida Division of Blind Services
2830 Winkler Ave., Suite 207
Fort Myers
239-278-7130
fcn.state.fl.us/dbs/
Informational and referral services for visually handicapped people.

United Way 211
Dial 211 from any telephone or 239-433-3900
TTY: 239-939-3112
24-hour information and referral service.

Online Resources for People with Special Needs

Society for Accessible Travel & Hospitality, www.sath.org

Wheelchairs on the Go, www.wheelchairsonthego.com

Air Canada, www.aircanada.com/en/

American Airlines, www.aa.com

Continental, www.continental.com

Delta, www.delta.com

JetBlue, www.jetblue.com

Southwest, www.southwest.com

Spirit, www.spiritair.com

US Airways, www.usairways.com

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