Wheelchair Ramps

New range of wheelchair ramps

New range of permanent wheelchair ramps

A totally new concept, the Permaramp range is designed to be easily adjusted and fixed down or left in place for all types of thresholds

(Click on image for larger picture)

Easy wash surface for long life and re-use Quick and easy to set up Unique gripdeck surface for sustained outside use Fixing options at top and bottom for secure location Excellent non slip surface

Recommended gradient for wheelchair ramps

We quite often receive requests for wheelchair ramps from people who don’t really know how long the ramp should be to be safe on the step they are tying to make accessible.

As a general rule most ramp manufacturers recommend a gradient no steeper than 1:12 for independant use and 1:6 for assisted use.

A simple calculation for finding out ramp lenghs is to multiple the height by the ratio.

i.e. if working on a 1:6 ratio multiply the height of step by 6 to give you the minimum lengh of ramp

6″ step x 6 = 36″ (3ft ramp)

Wheelchair ramp systems

A lot of the wheelchair ramps we sell are to small shopkeepers who simple need a little portable wheelchair ramp which they can quickly set up to enable a wheelchair user to gain access to their premisis.

Most of the time a short straight out ramp is suffice, but if it is a particularly narrow pavement, the required lengh of ramp can sometimes end up too close to the edge of the pavement, making it unsafe for a wheelchair user to turn on to.

A way of overcominh this problem is to use a 1.2m square landing platform outside the door and then run a ramp at 90 degrees so that it runs with the pavement rather than running out from it.

Wheelchair-ramps.co.uk website For Sale

This website is for sale

I am finding it impossible to maintain all my websites at the moment, so have decided to put my wheelchair ramps website up for sale.

I have no idea of a price yet, so will first tidy up a load of old pages and broken links and then take things from there.

It’s a shame, as it was one of my first websites which I used for making money, but I just haven’t got the time needed to keep it updated.

RBS Wheelchair Access

Finally a court case has upheld the requirements of the Disability Descrimination Act DDA which makes it a requirement for all service providers to provide accessible buildings and make reasonable adjustments to existing buildings.

The Act came in in October 2004 and it has taken 5 years before a judge has ruled on a high profile case such as this without the company involved settling out of court to keep things quiet.

18 year old student David Allen was awarded £6,500 damages after he took legal action after the Royal Bank of Scotland failed to to make its Church Street branch in Sheffield wheelchair accessible.

RBS have also been istructed to carry out the necessary work to make the propery accessible at an estimated cost of £200,000

There have been other cases over the years, but none of these have been decided by a court, now that this one has it could become a precedence and hopefully encourage other service providers to make the changes they are legally obliged to do.

The days of the DDA being totally ignored are hopefully numbered and this could lead to far greater equality for disabled people throughout the UK.

Wine Cooler Ramps

We had an unusual enquiry last week.

Answered the phone and it was someone who had just ordered a wine cooler and wanted a way of easily moving it about between a couple of locations which both had steps.

The model they had bought was a Single Temperature Wine Cabinet which is 1810 high x 680 wide x 680 deep and when empty weighs approx 80kg

They had a little trolley which they transported it on but it couldn’t cope with the steps.

In the end we recommended a simple 5ft classic wheelchair ramp and have just received an email back from them saying it was ideal and means they can easily move it even when half filled with wine bottles.

Wheelchair Ramps Video

Click on the video above to see more information about portable wheelchair ramps.

Portable Wheelchair Ramps

Our new portable wheelchair ramps can be used as auxiliary aids to overcome steps up to 400mm high. The most important to bear in mind when considering portable ramps is that where assistance is at hand and when the ramps are temporarly and not fixed, you can use them at a maximum gradient of 1:6 or better still 1:8

To work out the lengh of ramp you require first find the total height fifference you need to overcome, then multiply this by 6.

for example, if you have a 30cm step it is 30cm x 6 which gives you a minimum length of 1.8m (or 6ft)

By far the most popular ramp for steps above 100mm (4inches) is the Aerolight Xtra wheelchair ramp which are available in lenghs from 60cm up to 2.5m

Modular Ramp Systems For Wheelchairs

We now supply a range of modular wheelchair ramp systems for where portable ramps are not an option.

Swift Ramp Systems

Quick, reusable and 100% modular wheelchair ramp system

• numerous combinations to suit your requirements
• designed to fit up to the door
• long life zinc coating prevents rusting
• high capacity construction

Mobility Ramps For Businesses

Mobility Ramps For Businesses
By Dave Kearsey

If you own a business, it just makes good sense to make it accessible to everyone. Turning away potential income is not a good business practice. Not only that, but if you are not accessible to the disabled you risk the possibility of a lawsuit. The ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) was passed in 1990. Section 4.8 deals with mobility ramps. The following specs for mobility ramps are taken from the ADA Accessibility Guidelines as amended through September 2002. If you would like to see the entire document I’ve provided a link below.

The ADA states that any part of an accessible route that has a slope steeper than 1:20 (20 inches of length for every 1 inch of rise) is considered a ramp. If you don’t have an elevator you need to provide mobility ramps to allow access to the different levels of your building. You should always use the least amount of slope possible for any ramp.

If you are constructing a new building the maximum amount of slope you can have for any ramp is 1:12. The maximum rise you can have for any run is 30 inches. If you have an existing site that you are constructing mobility ramps for, things change a little.

An existing building may not have the space to install ramps that meet the 1:12 slope or less. If that is the case then a slope between 1:10 and 1:12 is allowed for a maximum rise of 6 inches. A slope between 1:8 and 1:10 is allowed for a maximum rise of 3 inches. A slope steeper than 1:8 is not allowed.

The preferred amount of slope is between 1:16 and 1:20. The ability to manage an incline is related to both its slope and its length. Wheelchair users with disabilities affecting their arms or with low stamina have serious difficulty using ramps. Most people who use wheelchairs can manage a slope of 1:16. Many people cannot manage a slope of 1:12 for a distance of 30 feet or more. The minimum width of a ramp is 36 inches and must be clear of any obstructions.

Mobility ramps need to have a landing at the top and bottom of each run. A landing is a level area to recuperate if there are any more runs to manage and allow for easy transitions if the ramp goes in another direction. Landings need to be at least as wide as the ramp leading to it. The length of the landing must be a minimum of 60 inches clear of any obstructions. If the ramp changes directions at the landings, the landing needs to be 60 inches by 60 inches minimum. Landings need to be level. A landing that is not level causes individuals using wheelchairs to tip backward or bottom out when the ramp is approached.

If a ramps has a rise more than 6 inches, then it must have handrails on both sides. However, handrails are not required on curb ramps. Handrails must extend at least 12 inches beyond the top and bottom of the ramp segment and must be parallel with the floor or ground surface. If the ramp changes directions the inside handrail must always be continuous. The handrails along any segment of the ramp cannot have any gaps in them. The top of the handrail’s gripping surface needs to be between 34 and 38 inches above the surface of the ramp and cannot rotate in their fittings. The ends need to be rounded or returned smoothly to the floor, wall or post.

The above handrail requirements are for adults. If the ramps are mainly for children (for example in elementary schools), a second set of handrails can assist them and aid in preventing accidents. A maximum height of 28 inches to the top of the gripping surface from the ramp surface is recommended for handrails designed for children. The clearance between upper and lower handrails is 9 inches minimum.

The cross slope of ramp surfaces cannot be greater than 1:50. If your ramp is 36 inches wide then both sides of the ramp must be within .24 inches in height from each other.

If your ramps and landings have drop-offs then they must have curbs, walls or railings that prevent people from slipping off the ramp. Curbs have to be a minimum of 2 inches high.

Outdoor ramps and their approaches must be designed so that water cannot puddle on walking surfaces.

The above is just a brief summary of the ADA guidelines for mobility ramps. If you would like to see the document in its entirety click here. Section 4.8 has many links to other sections of the document inside of it. To cover everything would be outside of the scope of this article. I highly recommend you read the entire document and all of its links before starting any mobility ramp project. It will only cost you a little bit of your time and can save many headaches down the road.

Dave Kearsey is the senior content writer for http://www.mobilityramps.net/ For more information about mobility ramps please come by and visit us at the above address. We are an informational site dedicated to helping you make an informed buying decision.

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