BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — Satellite Beach is one step closer to having better beach access for people in wheelchairs, and one Brevard County woman is hoping to help. But first, there are a few hurdles to overcome.

Brevard County woman Trish Talbert was inspired to make a difference after her mother Pam Kerr became a wheelchair user.  

According to Talbert, Kerr loved the beach. Every year, they would spend Mother’s Day together, but as the years went by, Pam got sicker and sicker with pulmonary artery disease.

Walking on the beach was no longer an option after Kerr became wheelchair-bound.

“My mother and I spent many days at the beach and every Mother’s Day, we spent our last one there, but she couldn't get to the beach anymore. She was starting to feel better at the time, and she said next year I’ll get down there for sure,” Talbert recalled.

Unfortunately she never did go back to the beach — Pam passed away in 2017 from the disease.

But Talbert said during the Indialantic Boardwalk Triathlon two years ago, participants raised $6,500 to donate Mobi-Mats, so others don't ever have to miss out on being on the sand.

As Talbert would find out though, even donating the mats would not be that easy. Two years after the triathlon, Satellite Beach passed a motion to approve an agreement with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to place Mobi-Mats on Pelican Beach Park and Hightower Beach Park.

“We thought the city of Indialantic would be able to take them, and they realized the permitting process was going to be very difficult, and so I reached out to Satellite Beach and they jumped on it and wanted it,” Talbert said.

But before the mats can be installed, FDEP issued permits that say Satellite Beach has to remove parts of the mat from the beach that extends farther than 20 feet seaward during sea turtle nesting season, and annually, officials have to submit a report showing photographs verifying they are following the permit rules.

Officials are also waiting until the end of sea turtle nesting season and beach re-nourishment to remedy severe erosion caused by Hurricane Dorian.

In Brevard County, the city of Cape Canaveral installed their Mobi-Mats in 2017 after getting FDEP permits. According to the company, this technology has been used for over 20 years by the US Marines to make beach landing.