Handicap wheelchair ramps for the Disabled: Advantages, and Regulations

Ramps are some of the most used solutions to save small, medium, and large vertical differences. We find them in commercial premises, communities of owners, public spaces, etc. A ramp is a surface, without projections, inclined that connects two areas at different levels, both inside buildings, as well as in infrastructures and urban areas and that can be built-in (small, medium, and large unevenness), or portable (small or very small unevenness)

But when installing or building a ramp, we must take into account a series of fundamental factors so that it is accessible, usable, and safe. The foregoing is achieved by building a ramp that complies with current applicable regulations. When we choose or build ramps for people with disabilities, the most important thing is to take into account aspects such as the slope, the maximum length, the free width, and its dimensions.

Advantages of Handicap ramp ramps for the disabled

The advantages of handicap wheelchair ramps are many and it is one of the preferred solutions by the Technical Code (CTE). Among others we can list:

1. Low or no maintenance cost.
2. Comfort of use.
3. The universal solution is valid for people with reduced mobility, people in wheelchairs, the elderly, and any user in general.
4. Absolute safety in use by anyone.
5. If they are portable, little visual impact on the environment.
6. If they are portable, the installation is immediate.
7. If they are working, the construction varies between a few days and a few weeks.
8. If they are built, they can be aesthetically integrated with the environment to suit the client.
9. Durability over time.
10. Possibility of installing them indoors and outdoors.

Regulations for ramps for the disabled

How should an accessible ramp be? The ADA regulations that regulate the ramps differentiate whether they are urbanized public spaces or if it is for access to a building. An accessible ramp for all people must meet the following points:

1. The ramp will not be longer than 9 m, a greater distance is difficult to cover for people with reduced mobility.
2. If they are longer, they will have several sections, with intermediate landings of a width equal to the ramp and a depth of 150 cm, these landings will serve so that a person in a wheelchair can make stops to rest in the middle of the ramp.
3. The transverse slope must be less than or equal to 2%, to prevent the wheelchair from sliding sideways.
4. The floor must be non-slip to prevent falls.
5. On both sides and along its entire length, the ramp will have a protective curb at least 12 cm high, to prevent the wheelchair from derailing.
6. The ramp must have a double handrail, located on both sides and at a height between 90 and 105 cm at the highest and between 70 and 85 cm at the lowest, the distance between both will be 20 cm. The handrails will extend 30 cm at the ends of the ramp.
7. The ramp must start and end with a ZERO drop.
8. The loading and unloading areas of the ramp must be free of obstacles and allow the registration of a circumference of 150 cm in diameter so that a person in a wheelchair can make a 360º turn.

The maximum slopes that must be complied with by law vary depending on the length of the section:

1. For ramps up to 3 meters, the maximum slope will be 10%.
2. For ramps up to 6 meters, the maximum slope will be 8%.
3. For larger ramps, the maximum slope will be 6%.
4. Slopes greater than those indicated are insurmountable for a person in a wheelchair, and can even cause the chair to tip over.

The slope of a ramp is usually expressed as a percentage as a result of the height to be saved and the section distance on the horizontal plane, multiplied by 100.

Advice and recommendations to hire Handicap ramp contractors

The decision to build a ramp is not an aspect that can be taken lightly, since if one is finally built that does not meet the necessary parameters, we will not be solving the problem but rather worsening it and generating insecurity and risks of use. Our recommendation is that the ramp will be designed by one of the Handicap ramp contractors who certify that the construction will meet the required requirements.

On the other hand, it is also important to know that for those occasions in which said construction is not technically feasible or that the necessary works and reforms are simply so many that they suppose a large economic outlay, there are other options that comply with current regulations and that should be also be taken into consideration before making a decision. On the one hand, stair lift platforms, which do not require work or reforms to be able to install them, or vertical lifts, which are a comfortable and simple way to overcome small differences in the level of up to 3 meters in height, are the main ones.

Handicap wheelchair ramps are a solution without limitations

Handicap Ramps are accessibility solutions, as old as urban and architectural works. Construction ramps as a solution to the elimination of architectural barriers have no more limitations. And the portable ramps have as many sizes and designs as we may need.

Always remember that a ramp that does not comply with the regulations will not be usable, or what is worse and more frequent, it will become an element with objective risks of use. Before making decisions about wheelchair ramps, one of the ADA ramp contractors should be consulted to assess the feasibility and convenience of installing or manufacturing a ramp, both due to its geometric fit and regulatory requirements.