Wheelchair Ramps Help You Navigate Elevations In Your Home Or Van

Wheelchair Ramps
Help You Navigate Elevations In Your Home Or Van

Wheelchair ramps are very handy accessories to have for getting into your home or van with a wheelchair. They may even be essential depending upon how your home is built. Ramps come in various types such as single fold, multi fold, threshold, roll up, solid, and van.

You may need more than one ramp to be fully mobile around your home whether you have a motorized scooter or use a manual wheelchair.

A motorized wheelchair may be able to tackle a shorter ramp with a steeper grade. A general rule of thumb when determining the length of the ramp you will need has been set forth in a formula supplied by the Americans with Disabilities Act or ADA.

They suggest you measure the height you need to rise and allow one foot of ramp per one inch of rise. Therefore if you need to build a ramp to go up two steps that equal 16 inches, you should plan on installing a ramp that is 16 feet long.

The ADA recommendations are for those people manually propelling themselves up the ramp. If someone pushes you or if you have an electric wheelchair, you may be able to significantly shorten the ramp. For safety's sake, you don't want a ramp that is too steep. Not only will it be difficult to get up, you may go down it too fast and get out of control.

Solid wheelchair ramps are all one piece and bought in various lengths. For example, you could buy a ramp five feet long and three feet wide. These ramps have traction built in and are lightweight so you can move them around or just bring them out when you need them. These can also be permanently installed. Threshold ramps are similar in that they are lightweight, single pieces that can be moved around. They are much smaller though and designed to fit over door thresholds that rise just a couple of inches.

Single fold ramps are designed so they are easier to move and transport. The ramps come in predetermined sizes that fold in half when not in use. The sometimes come with handles or a carrying bag so you can take the ramp with you when you are visiting friends for example. Multifold wheelchair ramps operate the same way except they are tri-folds. This allows you to conveniently transport a much longer ramp.

Some wheelchair ramps roll up. These are dual track ramps that are heavy duty. They can hold up to 2000 pounds yet only weigh around 20 pounds. They come in various lengths from a couple of feet up to over ten feet. With these you can leave your home, get in your van, and maneuver into your workplace all with one convenient ramp that rolls up for easy portability.

Van wheelchair ramps can fit into the rear door or the side door. These are usually made from aluminum so they are lightweight and easy to handle. The surfaces are treated so they hold traction well. The van ramps mount to the floor of the van and fold out to the ground so they don't take up much space inside.

Wheelchair ramps will certainly make it much easier for you to navigate through your home and other buildings that are not wheelchair accessible. The cost of the ramps will depend upon the type and length. Medicare does not cover this cost but some private insurance companies might.