Between the Americans with Disabilities Act in the US and the Disability Discrimination Act in the UK, it's now imperative that businesses provide wheelchair access ramps or some kind of approved wheelchair access. Stairs, porches and even door thresholds can prove to be difficult barriers for individuals that are confined to a wheelchair. Wheelchair access ramps provide a way to overcome these barriers and allow free and independent access to all.
Modular wheelchair ramps have become quite popular because of their lightweight design and ease of installation. Modular wheelchair access ramps are very cost-effective and can be used to bring your business into compliance with legislated disability guidelines. Providing handicapped-friendly access to your building should certainly be part of good business practices.
These aluminum wheelchair access ramps are available in a full range of modules that can be pieced together to provide a safe and easy-to-use ramp for almost any building situation. They can be assembled quickly--often within as little as 30 minutes--with normal, everyday hand tools. Yet they have a load capacity of up to 850 pounds, which should easily handle most power wheelchair users.
It's also possible to build your own wheelchair access ramps. This is an especially attractive option for individuals who want to add wheelchair ramps for house access. Anyone with basic carpentry skills should be able to construct their own wheelchair access ramp. After all, it's not a great deal more difficult than building a deck. If you don't feel like you have the needed skills, you should be able to find a contractor to build a wheelchair access ramp for your home. But don't assume that he knows the guidelines for access ramps. Provide him with the information he needs to build a safe, usable ramp.
Before taking on the project of building a home wheelchair access ramp, check with your local building department to find out if there are specific codes or guidelines you're required to follow. Ramp specifications and requirements aren't designed to make life difficult for the builder, but rather insure that the finished product is safe and effective for wheelchair users.
Most of the time, wheelchair access ramps for homes have no specific width requirements, but the absolute minimum width should be at least 36 inches. If there's room, you could even make it wider. Every ramp should have level landings at both the top and bottom, and may need intermediate landings if the ramp rises more than 30 inches.
Wheelchair access ramps should have handrails and guard rails on both sides for maximum ease of use and safety. You should take care to construct the top landing so that the door entering the home can be opened without obstruction. In other words, the top landing should have enough room for the wheelchair to maneuver as the door is opened.
If you're adding a ramp to an elevated deck, then the deck itself may need some modification to accept the ramp. Once you've completed your wheelchair access ramp, you can dress it up with some lattice underneath. Another landscaping option is to add flowers or shrubbery, which catch the eye and draw attention away from the wheelchair access ramp.
Businesses and homeowners who want wheelchair access ramps can go modular or build their own