Table Mountain’s Big Step Towards Accessibility (and Other Accessible Cape Town Attractions)

On Friday, 24 April, on the top of Table Mountain, I saw about nine dassies - nine! - basking in the sun. If you’ve been reading this blog for some time, you will understand how exciting that was for me. And that wasn’t even the best part! I was on top of Cape Town’s beloved landmark for the official launch of a brand new walkway. This was the result of a joint effort between South African National Parks (SANParks) and the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway (TMACC) to make the mountain’s summit more accessible to more people. 

The new infrastructure upgrade now means visitors using wheelchairs and electric scooters, as well as parents pushing prams, can access one of South Africa’s most famous natural wonders with far more ease. It is also a meaningful step towards creating equal access to nature-based experiences, like staring in awe of Table Mountain’s adorable but angry-looking dassie population in all their brown furry glory. (I love them!)

Dassies!

Not only was the walkway carefully designed to be practical for all its users and robust enough to withstand the elements on top of Table Mountain (no small feat on windy days in this city), but Collette Van Aswegen (Marketing & Sales Manager for TMACC) added that no plants were injured in its construction. That’s how seriously they take conservation.

  

Cape Town’s Top Accessible Attractions

Having done some sightseeing around Cape Town with someone with mobility challenges, I have become very aware of how not accessible this city is. 

Renè Moses, owner of Travel with Rene, a company that offers specialised wheelchair accessible tours, airport shuttles, and other services, was present at the launch event. I asked her what her favourite wheelchair/electric-scooter accessible places were. She said:

• Table Mountain (with assistance)
• Fish Hoek Beach
• The Company Gardens
• St. George’s Mall
• Kirstenbosch (with assistance)
• Ernie Els Wines
• Harold Porter National Botanical Gardens
• And the V&A Waterfront

Table Mountain from the cable car

Tarryn Tomlinson, founder and CEO of LiveAble, a company focused on transforming the travel and living landscape for individuals with disabilities, was also present. She educated me on what it truly means for a place to be accessible and explained that there is a big difference between places that accommodate wheelchairs and places that are truly accessible for people with disabilities to navigate unaided. 

She also praised the V&A Waterfront (another member of the Cape Town Big 6 along with the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway) for its accessibility and the variety of things it offers for people with disabilities, from shopping and restaurants to boat trips. Beyond that, she says she spends a lot of time in hotel bars and restaurants, “Not because I’m trying to get a rich man,” she joked, “but because they have accessible bathrooms”. She says she enjoys the Cape Grace, but in terms of accessibility, the Radisson Red is the most accommodating hotel for people of all disabilities.

While the city of Cape Town has a long way to go to be fully accessible to people with disabilities, this new walkway is a “step” in the right direction (for lack of a better expression). As a result, now more people are able to do the full 1,8km circular route at the top that was previously only accessible to those who could move up and down stairs.

The launch event

One of the New Seven Wonders of Nature

Table Mountain may not be one of the Seven Wonders of the World, but it is one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature along with Ha Long Bay, Vietnam; Iguazú Falls, Argentina & Brazil; Jeju Island, South Korea; Komodo, Indonesia; Puerto Princesa Underground River, Philippines; and the whole of the Amazon. It was awarded this title in 2011. (I'm trying to figure out the point at which the "new" in that title becomes invalid.)

I’m not sure how many, if any, of the other New Seven Wonders of Nature are reachable in a wheelchair, but Table Mountain is the only one located in an urban area.

One of the views from the top

Visit Table Mountain:

Click here for more info or to get your Table Mountain Aerial Cableway tickets.