All about wheelchair ramps

A wheelchair ramp is nothing but an inclined plane which helps people on wheelchairs or those pushing carts or strollers to access otherwise difficult areas like stairs. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 has made it mandatory for buildings and structures to be made accessible for wheelchair users. Every new building being built needs to comply with the standards and even the older ones are being renovated to accommodate ramps and elevators as per the act. This is where a wheelchair ramp comes in as it helps the wheelchair user to access difficult areas.

Even in public transportation the federal government is encouraging use of low floor buses and trams to make them more accessible. These days vans are also coming with pre fit wheelchair ramps in them to allow for easy stowing of the wheelchair in them. You can see such vans being used commonly at schools and senior centers where they are often used to transport mobility challenged people from one place to another. If your van does not already have a ramp built in you can modify it to accommodate the ramp. However the easier option would be to buy a new van itself with the ramp built in already. The wheelchair ramps used in the vans can be a side door ramp, an in floor ramp, a side folding ramp, or a back door ramp. You can choose one as per your needs and preference.
Wheelchair ramps can be divided into three main categories, namely the permanent wheelchair ramps, semi permanent ramps and the portable ramps. The permanent ramps, as evident from the name, are fitted permanently using cement and bolts and are best suited for new halls and buildings which need to comply with the Americans with Disabilities act. The semi permanent type of wheelchair ramps is good for short term use and they just rest on the ground or padding without being fixed permanently. Portable wheelchair ramps can be easily folded to allow for convenient transport and storage. They are also lightweight making their use simpler. You might have seen a portable or semi permanent ramp being used in construction sites or outdoor concert halls.
When you are fixing a wheelchair ramp you need to make sure that you have the correct slope ratio. If you are fixing it in your home then you should go through the wheelchair manual to check the maximum incline that your wheelchair can easily handle. This should give you a good idea about the right slope to use.
For commercial uses, the ADA act has certain recommendations laid down. It recommends that for loading an unoccupied wheelchair, that is a wheelchair on which nobody is sitting, a slope of 3:12 should be maintained. This simply implies that for every 3 inches of vertical rise there should be at least 12 inches (one foot) of the ramp. For occupied wheelchairs the slope is set at a figure of 1:12.