FOCENE, Italy — On a recent summer morning, one lido on the beach at Focene, west of Rome, was bustling. Italians of all ages and sizes sizzled on sun-bleached chairs. Children splashed happily among the waves, and a group of senior citizens exercised (gently) to a mambo beat.

But there were also visitors rarely seen on other Italian beaches: people with disabilities being eased into the water on special chairs with fat tires, with the help of family members and volunteers.

This summer, like all summers, Italians thronged the thousands of resorts and lidos that pepper the country’s coastline, staking out swatches of sand among colorful umbrellas arranged in cramped rows.

It’s a time-honored national pastime enjoyed by millions. But the seaside establishments that accommodate people in wheelchairs are few and far between.