Handicap Ramps |
For anyone who has experienced having someone close to them become a handicap or person with disability, you would know how difficult things can be for them. Handicap ramps essentially make life easier for the person with disability by allowing him to gain access to places which may be hard to reach because of his handicap. With the passage of the ADA law in 1990, the needs of the physically challenged have been addressed making not only buildings accessible to them but also allowing them to comfortably access public transportation across the United States. The presence of these adaptive transportation and mobility equipment allows the handicap to have some normalcy in his daily life. Let us examine some of the more commonly used ramps and see what fits best to your needs.
Fixed handicap ramps
These are fixed ramps that are commonly seen in various buildings and homes of handicapped people. Normally placed at the side, the slope is an inch for each foot of run. The width is approximately 36 inches with the landings placed as wide as possible based on a minimum of 60 inches in length. These are equipped with hand or guard rails to serve as mobility aids. Fixed handicap ramps are constructed based on the standards indicated under the ADA and are normally made of concrete with steel hand or guard rails. Although useful for disabled people to gain access to buildings, its fixed nature makes its deployment very limited.Wheelchair ramps
Designed and manufactured using lightweight materials, this portable mobility equipment for people with disability allows access not only to buildings but to vehicles as well. Normally made of composite aluminum panels, they can be easily handled, positioned, and transported because of its small size. It usually has a slip resistant finish to give the wheels of the wheelchair maximum traction. Although its usefulness lies mostly on its portability, it also serves as its weakness due to the limited places that it can be used. Types that belong to this category include the portable house ramp, flat panel ramp, and travel ramp.Vehicle ramps
As its name suggests, this category provides solution for the loading and unloading of various types of mobility equipment. It can be considered as the ramp variation of the wheelchair and scooter lifts. These types of access devices are either installed or temporarily linked to the host vehicle. A number of variations of this type of mobility equipment for people with disability can be seen in wheelchair accessible vans as well as carriers and transfer systems across the United States. Types of ramps under this category include the channel car ramp, scooter ramp, taxi ramp, bus ramp, and specialist ramp. The specialist ramp is commonly installed in wheelchair accessible vans during the conversion process. These types of ramps are built with additional support to allow them to handle the weight from mobility equipment like an electric wheelchair. Drawback to this type of handicap ramp is that because it is bulky and heavy, it is best suited for disabled transportation carriers only. In some instances this type of ramp is installed together with a control system to make it easier for a disabled person to operate it.Rail ramps
The rail ramp is a variation of the portable wheelchair ramp. Made of the same strong and high quality materials, it is ideal for use when the person with disability travels by train. It can be easily carried on trains or stored in station platforms. It is normally deployed together with a locking device to keep it in place during storage. Designed with a carry handle, its safety features include slip resistant surface design and safety side rails to ensure that the wheelchair or scooter does not fall off to the side. It is manufactured wide enough and strong enough to carry the weight of an electric wheelchair and similar transfer systems for the physically challenged. Its usage however is limited only to vehicles and access points that have low ground clearances.Portable ramps
These are ultra-strong but lightweight access mobility aids that are provided to help wheelchair bound people gain access to residential and commercial buildings. Usually compact, they can be folded and inclined at a slightly higher angle than the wheelchair ramp. It can be used as a bridge between French doors or patios and the UPVC door sills. This type of ramp has a slip resistant surface that is just enough to maintain adequate traction for the wheels of the wheelchair. The fully adjustable legs make it easier to position it in almost any location. It is likewise relatively easy to handle and transport despite its longer length. The overcill and trio ramps fall under this classification. Although considered as one of the most cost effective solutions to delivering adaptive equipment & vehicles, it may be somewhat difficult for the physically challenged to handle it by himself.Access ramps
With equipment & vehicles modified to cater to the needs of the person with disability, many buildings set as default mobility equipment access ramps. This type of adaptive equipment in most instances is used to help move wheelchairs as well as scooters up the steps or across door thresholds. Can be used in both residential and commercial buildings, they come either in one- or two-piece variant depending on the type. The access ramp can be deployed together with almost any type of portable ramp to deliver a more cost effective solution to transportation and mobility equipment deployment. Using this particular ramp type allows the wheelchair bound handicap to easily enter doorways with or with baggage. Downside is that although lightweight it is still relatively huge and long. Its usage is likewise limited mostly to bridging thresholds and stairs. The fixed channel, bridge threshold, and door wedge are types of access ramps.Now that you know the most common types of handicap ramps and their proper usage, it will be easier for you to make your home and vehicle more accessible to wheelchairs. Every bit of comfort for the person with disability is a big thing.
