Riding Waves and Breaking Barriers on International Wheelchair Day

Photo Credit: Alex Kamadu from ISWP

International Wheelchair Day offered the differently abled a moment in the ocean where barriers faded, and possibilities opened up, reminding them all what true freedom feels like.

Cape Town, South Africa (12 March 2026) – Every year on 1 March, the world celebrates International Wheelchair Day. It is a day that recognises the freedom, independence, and opportunity that wheelchairs can provide to millions of people around the globe.

But this year in Cape Town, the celebration didn’t end on 1 March.

On Saturday, 7 March 2026, the International Society of Wheelchair Professionals (ISWP) partnered with the Roxy Davis Foundation and Shonaquip Social Enterprise to host yet another unforgettable adaptive surf therapy event at the iconic Muizenberg Beach.

ISWP is an international organisation whose vision is for wheelchair users and their families to have access to appropriate wheelchairs and services within an empowering and supportive environment.

The goal of the event? To celebrate ability, raise awareness about disability, and show how access and community support can transform lives.

And transform lives it did.

Over 150 people gathered on the beach that morning. Wheelchair users, families, volunteers, and technicians together created a vibrant atmosphere filled with excitement and anticipation.

Many of the participants had never experienced surfing before, let alone being able to access the sea.

With the help of trained volunteers and adaptive equipment, wheelchair users were guided into the ocean and supported onto surfboards, where they experienced the joy and freedom of riding the waves.

For some, the moment was emotional.

One participant, Ricardo Lodewyk, captured the experience perfectly when he said:

“When I’m in the water, I don’t feel disabled, but when I’m back in my wheelchair, I feel disabled by the environment and society.”

His words highlight an important truth: that disability is often not about the individual; it’s about the barriers created by the world around us.

ISWP Executive Director Alex Kamadu said that an appropriate wheelchair is a gateway to independence, participation, and opportunity.

“Moments like the surf therapy event show what becomes possible when people have the right support and equipment and when communities work together to remove barriers to participation.”

Sessions like this are also made possible through ongoing partnerships that strengthen access to the ocean environment. Through collaboration with the City of Cape Town, the Roxy Davis Foundation continues to build relationships and systems that improve accessibility at Muizenberg Beach.

This includes access to beach wheelchairs and a mobility mat, which enable wheelchair users and persons with mobility challenges to travel across the sand and reach the water safely. These small but critical pieces of infrastructure help remove physical barriers and open the coastline to more members of the community, ensuring that the ocean can be experienced by everyone.

More Than Just a Day at the Beach

While the event was filled with smiles, laughter, and unforgettable moments, it also carried an important message. That access to an appropriate wheelchair can be life-changing.

An appropriate wheelchair is one that is available locally, affordable, safe, suited to the user’s needs, and can be repaired and maintained in the country where it is used.

When these conditions are met, a wheelchair becomes far more than a mobility device. It becomes a gateway to independence, education, employment, recreation, and participation in community life.

During the event, technicians from Shonaquip Social Enterprise also ensured that participants’ wheelchairs were checked and repaired where needed, helping ensure continued mobility long after the surfboards were packed away.

A Community Effort

The success of the day was made possible through collaboration, compassion, and the power of community.

Volunteers from the Roxy Davis Foundation worked tirelessly to guide participants safely through the surf, while the ISWP team used the opportunity to highlight the importance of improving access to appropriate wheelchairs globally.

Together, they created an environment where barriers faded and possibilities opened up.

For many people, activities like surfing are something they take for granted. But for people with disabilities, environmental barriers (from inaccessible beaches to poorly fitted wheelchairs) can make participation difficult or even impossible.

Events like this demonstrate what becomes possible when those barriers are removed.

International Wheelchair Day is about celebrating mobility, independence, and inclusion and raising awareness that people with disabilities deserve access to the appropriate assistive technology and environments that allow them to live full and active lives.

The waves at Muizenberg may have settled by the end of the day, but the impact of the experience will stay with participants long after. Because sometimes, a moment in the ocean can remind us all what true freedom feels like.