Huntington Beach is known as one of the premier surfing destinations in our state, even earning the nickname Surf City USA. Located along Pacific Coast Highway, the city offers 10 miles of wide-open beaches, endless opportunities for outdoor adventure and a laid-back welcoming community known for its vibrant surfing history and culture, making it the ultimate Southern California destination.
Now it has added a new title to its notoriety: It is the first destination in California to achieve Sensory Inclusive Certification by KultureCity, the world’s leading nonprofit on sensory accessibility and acceptance, marking a significant step toward creating a more welcoming and supportive experience for families with children who have sensory needs and invisible disabilities.
Led by Visit Huntington Beach and in partnership with the City of Huntington Beach, the recognition brings together both private and public sectors to support sensory inclusion. Visitor-facing employees at hotels, restaurants, shops and attractions participated alongside Huntington Beach lifeguards, police officers, firefighters and other public-safety personnel, helping create a more supportive experience throughout a visitor’s stay.
The KultureCity certification builds on Huntington Beach’s ongoing commitment to accessible travel, including its partnership with Wheel the World to map and verify accessibility information throughout the city. Together, the initiatives help travelers with two critical components of accessible travel: plan with confidence and feel welcomed and supported once they arrive.
“Accessibility is about more than getting to the beach — it’s about feeling confident and welcomed throughout your entire experience in Huntington Beach,” said John Urdi, President and CEO of Visit Huntington Beach. “By bringing together our tourism partners and the City through KultureCity, and providing travelers with verified accessibility information through Wheel the World, we are working toward an experience where more people can enjoy Surf City USA on their own terms.”
Through KultureCity’s Sensory Inclusive Certification, frontline staff at participating businesses received specialized training to better recognize, understand and support individuals with sensory needs and invisible disabilities.
“Creating truly inclusive communities requires education, preparation and action,” said Uma Srivastava, Executive Director of KultureCity. “Huntington Beach is demonstrating leadership by bringing together its tourism community and public-sector partners to create a more sensory-inclusive experience for everyone who lives in or visits the destination.”
Huntington Beach’s sensory-inclusive certification expands Visit Huntington Beach’s work with Wheel the World, a leading travel platform for disabled travelers, which has been underway for the past three years.
Through the partnership, accessibility features such as step-free entrances, accessible pathways and roll-in showers have been assessed at nearly 30 Huntington Beach hotels, attractions and venues, resulting in 1,141 accessibility data points to help travelers determine which experiences best meet their needs during the travel planning process.
The two initiatives are part of a broader effort to make accessibility part of the entire Huntington Beach experience — from planning and booking to exploring the destination and enjoying the beach. Accessible offerings include Mobi-mats, beach wheelchairs, adaptive surfing lessons, accessible bonfires and more. Together with verified accessibility information and destination-wide sensory-inclusive training, these efforts are helping make Surf City USA a more welcoming destination where travelers can know what to expect before they arrive and feel supported during their visit. For more information, visit www.AccessibleHB.com.
KultureCity, established in 2014, is a non-profit organization at the forefront of the inclusivity movement. KultureCity’s commitment to inclusivity extends beyond physical spaces. The organization collaborates with influential figures, businesses and communities to promote awareness and understanding of invisible disabilities.
