A meeting tomorrow will be the first step in a three-stage process to establish a Disabled Surfers Association of Australia (DSAA) branch in the south-west.

The meeting, at 5pm at the Warrnambool Surf Life Saving Club rooms, will be hosted by DSAA honourary national adviser Jim Bradley and Ocean Grove branch president Mark Beshara.

For about 30 years the charity group has helped people with disabilities to get onto the sand and into the water.

Mr Bradley said local interest and the city’s growing population made Warrnambool the natural next step.

He said the visit to Warrnambool would have an exploratory element to ensure the beach and facilities were accessible.

“All the pieces are starting to come together at this early stage,” Mr Bradley said.

“The good news for Warrnambool is that it does have two beach wheelchairs already.”

Following the meeting a report will be submitted to the DSAA and, all going well, a larger public meeting will be held in November to form an interim committee, which is expected to meet again next February. Training will then begin for volunteers.

Once the branch was up and running it would provide two or three all-inclusive events each year.

Mr Bradley said the all-inclusive program, which catered for every disability, often provided people’s first experience of the surf.

“Their life usually stops at the beach,” he said.

Since it began Mr Bradley said the DSAA had become a “runaway success” that received huge community support.

“We’re just trying to put smiles on dials,” he said.

“We set best practice when it comes to looking after the disabled in the water.

“It’s of huge benefit to the disabled and their families potentially as well, they get unofficial respite on the day. 

“The volunteers who come along get a lot out of it too.”

The program also has the chance to benefit local students, who form about half of the volunteer population in other branches.

“You don’t have to be a surfer to be involved,” he said.

DSAA has 15 branches across Australia, including Ocean Grove and Mornington in Victoria, and New Zealand.

For more information visit http://disabledsurfers.org/ or call Jim Bradley on 0458 759 999.