Huntington Beach celebrates certification as state’s first sensory inclusive destination
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John Urdi spent his first summer as the president and chief executive of Visit Huntington Beach enjoying the sun and sand.
There were plenty of moments to remember. But one thing that Urdi won’t soon forget was the joy that adaptive surfing with Rocky McKinnon brought to Kristy Durso, a longtime disability advocate who is a wheelchair user.
“The smile on her face was massive,” Urdi said. “When you have influencers like Kristy out there helping to tell the story of Huntington Beach, people are going to recognize that. They’re going to believe her. They’re going to see that she’s having fun out there.”
Durso and fellow advocate Reese Ketler were in town Thursday as Huntington Beach celebrated an accessibility milestone.
The city has become the first in the state of California to achieve Sensory Inclusive Certification from KultureCity, a nonprofit that deals in sensory accessibility and acceptance.
“When we first approached our tourism partners and the city of Huntington Beach about this opportunity, we were stoked by the response,” Urdi said. “Hotels, restaurants, retailers, and attractions stepped up, and so did our city partners and public safety teams, including our lifeguards, firefighters, and police officers.”
As part of the initiative, 1,538 visitor-facing employees and public safety personnel received sensory-inclusive training. Meg Raby of KultureCity credited Ashley Theel, Huntington Beach’s director of community and library services, for getting that done “in lightning time.”
Director of tourism development Sophia Valdivia and tourism development coordinator Mary Damiano were key advocates on the Visit Huntington Beach side, Urdi said.
Wheel The World, a travel platform that specializes in accessible tourism, has been another partner. Fourteen partners city-wide have been both certified by KultureCity and verified by Wheel the World.
The effort has included Mobi-Mats, beach wheelchairs, accessible fire pits and more.
“When we create accessible experiences, when we create opportunities for families to get back to life, it gives them the chance to rebuild,” Durso said. “It gives them the chance to make and find a new identity in a way that we can’t even explain well enough for you to understand. Imagine your entire world crashing to the ground, and every trip you take gets to rebuild on that.
“Yes, I can do that again. I can do that differently. I can take my child to experience a museum, to understand Shakespeare, to go to a play. I never thought I’d be able to do that. Every time you invest in accessibility, every time that you take the time to understand somebody else’s worldview, somebody else’s perspective, you help a person rebuild their lives from somewhere they never thought they’d be. Huntington Beach has done an extraordinary job of this.”
Ketler, who was paralyzed after suffering a spinal cord injury during a hockey game, said he too has enjoyed his trips to Surf City.
“The thing with Wheel the World, I knew exactly what I was getting myself into when I came here,” Ketler said. “I knew that the hotel would be accessible. Walk-in shower. The beds would be a certain height, and even down to like a pool lift, so I could transfer into a pool. Huntington Beach is definitely something I would recommend. I’m also a content creator. I document my stay for the hundreds of other people in wheelchairs, so that they know that when they come to Huntington, they’ll feel welcome and accepted.”
State Sen. Tony Strickland and Assemblyman Tri Ta also each provided comments and commendations for the city.
Huntington Beach Mayor Casey McKeon mentioned the Future Proof Festival, the world’s largest wealth management convention, which wrapped up at the beach on Thursday.
“Our sensory inclusive certification … allows events like that to be more welcoming and inclusive to people around the world,” McKeon said. “And again, that helps our local economy, helps pay for public safety, helps pay for our roads and infrastructure, and keep our city clean. And so, it’s really just an honor to be certified as the first city in California.”
