Information on Building Residential Wheelchair Ramps
This article looks at how to build a wheelchair ramp for your home:
In the perfectly accessible home there shouldn’t be any steps. Wow! That’s a big order, and unless you are building your home from scratch, not likely to happen.
Steps are barriers to many: anyone who isn’t as strong or as agile as they used to be, or anyone who uses a cane, or a wheelchair to get around. Access ramps are not just useful for those in wheelchairs, but they can also be helpful for mothers with strollers and people who use walkers.
A ramp eliminates the dangers and difficulties of steps. The first test of accessibility in a home that adheres to universal design is getting into and out of it. Transforming your house into a barrier free home begins with the addition of a ramp.
Many ramps are obtrusive and aesthetically difficult, meaning they are usually very noticeable and tend to scream that this is a house for people with disabilities. This doesn’t have to be the case if you think of a ramp in terms of universal design.
Think about a ramp as a walkway, a scenic route to your front door. Picture it as a gently sloping path of concrete, wood or brick that can make entrances accessible for everyone. Whether you are building a home from scratch or doing a gentle remodel for a loved one, you must think of each ramp installation as being unique.
It is important to consider the person for whom you are building the ramp, what future needs that person might have, how much money you have to spend, whether the ramp is to be permanent and whether it will impact your homes appearance and market value.
What to know when you design and build your wheelchair ramp
Before beginning you will need to contact your local building department for permit requirements and guidelines. A ramp is a pretty important fixture so you will want to study guidelines and parameters carefully before you make your purchase or begin construction on your own.
For example: Consider the slope based on the users needs. A steeper slope may be cheaper but can be hazardous if it is being used by persons with walkers, canes or wheelchairs, but a gentler slop means a longer ramp. On the other hand, the length of the ramp segments may need to be limited because the user does not have the stamina to climb long distances, so you will need to factor in level rest areas.
Design your ramp for comfortable use. To prevent fatigue, your ramp should be level from side to side and needs to be wide enough to accommodate walker or wheelchairs (between 32 and 48 inches).
You will need to think about handrails at appropriate heights, guardrails, and curbing for safety, and enough room at the top of the ramp to allow a wheelchair or walker user to open the door.
Portable wheelchair ramps
If doing a complete landscaping remodel isn’t possible for you because you are a renter or don’t have to the time or money to under go a major construction process, you might want to consider a portable or pre-made ramp.
Prefabricated ramps are available in permanent and portable styles that can be disassembled and moved to a new location. The disadvantages to the metal fabrication ramps are that they are quite noticeable, but you can be creative and use decorative planters to help conceal these less than attractive step alternatives.
The key, however, is to think about universal design features before you need them so that you can come up with attractive alternatives for your own lifestyle.
Sources: The Accessible Housing Design File
The Accessible
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