Meet Laya
Laya is the inspiration behind Accessible Outdoors and the AquaGlide All-Terrain Beach Wheelchair.
When Laya was just six months old, she was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a rare muscle-wasting condition that affects movement and strength. Today, she relies on a wheelchair for mobility and requires support with many everyday activities.
Like many families living with disability, we quickly discovered that some of the simplest experiences can become unexpectedly difficult. Something as ordinary as a trip to the beach often required extensive planning, specialist equipment, or simply wasn't possible at all.
Many beaches are inaccessible to traditional wheelchairs, and while some locations provide beach wheelchairs, they can be difficult to find and are often only available during certain times of the year.
For years, this meant that many beautiful places could only be admired from a distance.
But one thing we learned from Laya is that disability doesn't reduce a person's desire to explore, experience new things, or enjoy life to the fullest.
Like many people living with mobility challenges, Laya loves spending time outdoors, being with family and making memories. She loves feeling the sea breeze, hearing the waves and experiencing the world around her.
That desire for freedom is what inspired us to create the AquaGlide.
What started as a solution for one family quickly became something much bigger. We realised that many other families, wheelchair users and individuals with mobility challenges face exactly the same barriers.
We are fortunate to live just 20 minutes from the beautiful Kent coastline, which means Laya can often be found enjoying her favourite place—the beach.
Since using the AquaGlide, we've lost count of the number of people who have stopped to ask about it. Whether it's other wheelchair users, parents of children with disabilities, carers, or simply people curious about how Laya is able to access the sand so easily, the interest has been overwhelming.
Those conversations made us realise something important: we weren't the only family looking for a solution like this.
Many people face the same barriers when visiting beaches, parks and outdoor spaces, and many had simply accepted that these places were inaccessible to them.
The positive response to the AquaGlide showed us that there was a genuine need for a practical, comfortable and affordable all-terrain wheelchair that could help more people enjoy the outdoors.
What began as a way to help Laya access her favourite place has grown into a mission to help others experience the same freedom, independence and enjoyment that the AquaGlide has brought to our family.
Today, our mission is simple:
To help make beaches, parks, coastal paths, campsites and outdoor adventures more accessible for everyone.
We believe that no one should have to watch life's adventures from the sidelines.
Everyone deserves the opportunity to explore, participate and enjoy the outdoors.
And that's exactly why Accessible Outdoors was born.
Where we go from here…
The AquaGlide is just the beginning. Over the years, we've spent countless hours searching for products that genuinely improve Laya's quality of life, particularly when it comes to enjoying the outdoors. Like many families living with disability, we've often found that products marketed as "wheelchair friendly" don't always perform as promised in real-world use.
Sometimes the smallest things can make the biggest difference. It might be a phone holder that stays securely in place instead of constantly bouncing around, a practical storage solution, or an accessory that makes everyday outings easier and more enjoyable.
Through years of trial and error, Laya has built up a collection of products that have proven themselves time and time again. These are products that have been tested in the real world, used regularly, and genuinely make a difference.
Over the coming months, we'll be adding more of these carefully selected products to our range. Every item will have one thing in common: it must provide real value, solve a genuine problem, and be something that we would happily use ourselves.
If a product doesn't improve Laya's experience, it won't make it onto our website.
We're excited to share these discoveries with other families and individuals who are looking for practical solutions that help make life—and the outdoors—more accessible.
