Electric Wheelchair Ramps For Home and Building

Wheelchair ramps are inclined planes which allow wheeled equipments to be transported between different heights. Though initially built for wheelchairs' use, people with strollers, trolleys and carts can also make use of these wheelchair ramps. The multiple benefits of having a wheelchair ramp has made it a common sight inside publicly accessible buildings such as shopping malls and government agencies.In fact, some countries such as America has passed an act that dictates every building should be accessible by wheelchair users. Therefore, most buildings will choose a multipurpose wheelchair ramp over wheelchair lifts.

Most buildings will choose to have the permanent wheelchair ramp installed, this is done by bolting the ramp's handrail to the ground or cementing the whole structure to the ground. Permanent wheelchair ramps are for buildings which are have already identified the access point for the wheelchair users. Ramps are adjusted differently depending on vertical distance it needs to clear. If the stairs were to have a few steps only, a straight gently inclined wheelchair will be suitable. However, if the stairs are steep, a snaking wheelchair ramp will be more suitable as it will be unsightly to see a wheelchair ramp stretching all the way out to the main road outside the building. Moreover, the wheelchair ramp must adhere to international standards in terms of its steepness. It must not be steeper than 1 inch for 12 inches of distance. A gentle sloped wheelchair ramp is definitely the safest way for a wheelchair to ascend.

The traditional way of making wheelchair ramp is to use mainly concrete, however, there is a recent shift towards using steel and aluminum to build the ramp. The reason is that these metals are lighter than concrete and more importantly, they are constructed in a modular way. Sections can be welded together at the joints. It is also easy to remove and sell as used wheelchair ramps to other buildings.

The other type of ramp is the semi-permanent wheelchair ramp. These are structures which need a few strong men to carry into place and commonly used for events where manual and electric wheelchair users are expected. They are temporary set up and usually rented by the event organizers.

The last type of ramp is the portable type. This is usually made of aluminum and carried by the side of the wheelchair user. The lightweight of the portable wheelchair ramps makes it easy to bring around. They are also durable compared to other less desired materials such as wood.

As portable wheelchair ramps are quite personal to the manual electric wheelchair users, it is important the user considers what type of wheelchair is he using and the corresponding safest incline required of the portable wheelchair ramp.You should also know the length of the portable ramp and where will it be deployed most of the time. I will discuss a few of the portable wheelchair ramps available in the market: Roll up ramps can be unrolled into short ramps of 3 or 5 feet. Their light weight makes this kind the lightest of all wheelchair ramps and easiest to carry around. However, they are limited to use for lower steps.
Single fold ramps are sturdy and slightly heavier than roll up ramps.They can easily negotiate mid level inclines with ease. The only drawback is that single-fold ramp does not become smaller when folded, it still takes up a considerable volume to the wheelchair user. Hence, it will troublesome to bring this along your travels. Multiple fold ramps come in 4 sections which are folded to form a heavy 12 feet portable wheelchair ramp. For their robustness, it can handle the heaviest of wheelchairs and steep steps, it can be used to enter vehicles too.

Track ramps is the last variation of portable wheelchair ramps. The length is adjustable depending on the steps and steepness it needs to overcome. Track ramps are sold in pairs. Each ramp forms a track to keep the movement of the wheelchair in a straight manner up and down the ramp. Wheelchair users will not have the danger of veering off the track. Sometimes, stair lifts for building are used as replacement for ramps.

Used electric wheelchair ramps have different specifications depending on the use of it within the environment. In the case of home use, it recommended to use a 3:12 slope that denotes one foot of ramp for every 3 inches vertical rise. As for business use, the ratio will be 1:12 which is a gentler slope than residential use.

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