If you or your loved one is facing mobility issues as a result of an accident, surgery, or simply because of old age, you would want to make your home suitable and accessible in the best way possible to avoid inconvenience. Including mobility assistive devices in your home is the best way to make a household a safe space for people with mobility problems or disabilities. Wheelchair ramps are one such equipment that will play an important role in making a person with a wheelchair go around independently and safely to carry out their day-to-day activities.
You can also opt for portable wheelchair ramps by visiting companies that provide portable ramps in Philadelphia. Another option you have is to get a ramp designed and built in your home. No matter what option you go for, one of the most important factors to consider is the slope of the ramp. In this article we will see why the slope of the ramp should be considered and what the topmost allowable slope for a wheelchair ramp is.
Why is it important to consider the slope of the ramp?
If you are looking for portable ramps in Philadelphia or are planning to get a wheelchair ramp built in your home or in the office building to make it more accessible for people using wheelchairs, the one thing you should consider is getting the slope of the ramp right.
When building access ramps or wheelchair ramps, the conditions of the ramp surface should be taken into account. If the slope of the ramp combined with the ramp surface is making the walking surface more slippery it can lead to fall hazards and injuries at both the ramp ascend and descend, thus making it risky for all.
These risks and hazards are increased if the slope of the ramp is too steep. That is why some guidelines have been set for the maximum allowable slope of the wheelchair ramp and these guidelines have been adopted by most buildings to make the ramp safe for all.
What is the topmost allowable slope for a wheelchair ramp?
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has given certain specifications on the building of the access ramps and wheelchair ramps. According to these specifications, there should be a 1:12 ramp ratio that equals to 4.8 degrees of slope or one foot of wheelchair ramp for each inch of the rise. Let’s consider an example to understand this better, for instance if the rise is of 20 inches, then it will require a 20 feet wheelchair ramp for better accessibility. Another requirement while building a wheelchair ramp that is put forth by ADA is that there should be a minimum 5’ x 5’ flat and unobstructed area at the top and the bottom of the ramp.
All the buildings have adopted these guidelines and build ramps based on them for safety and accessibility.
