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People who have trouble walking or moving around often have a hard time enjoying the beach. But hundreds of beaches in Greece now offer a new way for people in wheelchairs to get into the water by themselves. It’s called Seatrac.

Seatrac is basically a chair on a moving ramp (活动梯) that can smoothly carry a disabled person into the sea. Once in the sea, the person can either remain in the chair, enjoying the water, or go for a swim. The chair is operated by remote control. When the person is ready to get out of the water, the Seatrac system brings the chair back to the top of the ramp. It’s even possible to take a shower in the Seatrac chair after going for a swim.

Seatrac was invented and developed in Greece. The idea for it came when one of the inventors, Ignatios Fotiou, was talking with a friend who used a wheelchair. The friend said he enjoyed the sea, but didn’t like having to be carried into the ocean as if he were a “sack of potatoes”. Mr. Fotiou realized that there must be a way to make it easier for wheelchair users to enjoy the water. He worked with his partner and a professor at a Greek university to design the system. In time, they formed a company called TOBEA to build and sell the systems.

The company worked hard to make the system simple to put in place and easy to run. A wooden walkway allows wheelchair users to reach the Seatrac. The system is solar powered and can continue to run even if the electricity goes out. The Scatrac system can easily be packed up and stored when swimming season ends.

This summer, the Seatrac system is being used at over 220 beaches in Greece, Cyprus, Italy, and Latvia. Thanks to Seatrac, people who use wheelchairs now have the chance to cool down with a dip in the sea.