Ramp Requirements and characteristics
The construction of a ramp for the disabled is one of the options available to facilitate accessibility for people in wheelchairs. But is it possible to build any type of ramp? How should an adapted ramp be? How can you calculate the length and slope to facilitate access for people with mobility problems? Until a few years ago, the fact that there was a staircase at the entrance of a building to access the main hall was a sign of distinction and quality in construction. Unfortunately, over the years, these types of entrances in which there are a few steps in their access are directly a practically insurmountable architectural barrier for older people with walking problems or directly an insurmountable obstacle for those who require help of a wheelchair to get around.
In this sense, for a long time there has been a regulation for new construction buildings or for the opening of new premises in which this type of problem is solved, but even so, there are still many buildings or shops that have a few steps in the entrance that hinders access, so much so that recently, more specifically since last December 2017, all neighborhood communities are obliged to make the necessary reasonable adjustments in terms of accessibility, including the construction of portable ramps for the disabled, Stairlifts, vertical lifts or even elevators.
Ramp Shape and Size
When it comes to saving a small unevenness formed by a staircase with a few steps, the construction of a ramp is undoubtedly one of the most used solutions, but does any type of ramp really work? Obviously not, nowadays it is possible to see ramps that are the same length as the staircase to be saved, which makes it impossible for a person in a wheelchair to use it, the same happens with ramps with insufficient widths, which have obstacles that narrow it, that do not have minimum dimensions when embarking or disembarking so that a person in a wheelchair can maneuver, etc. This type of ramp, more than a help, is another architectural barrier, so obviously they are of little or nothing in terms of accessibility.
First of all, and to answer the question, what should a ramp for the disabled look like? You have to indicate that it must have the necessary characteristics so that a person in a wheelchair can use it in the most autonomous and safe way possible. In this way, aspects such as the slope, the maximum length, the free width of the ramp or the dimensions free of obstacles both at the entrance and at the exit of the same are fundamental aspects. In addition, it is also necessary to take into account systems so that its use is completely safe and adapted to people with mobility problems, so the installation of a double handrail, a plinth or curb, as well as a non-slip surface are essential for this.
Ramp length and slope
Undoubtedly, one of the most important aspects of a ramp for people in a wheelchair is, without a doubt, the slope and the length of the ramp. On some occasions you have been able to observe awareness days in which people without disabilities, mainly politicians and some characters with some popularity, have tried trying to save a steep slope using a wheelchair without success, and that is that what may seem simple to Priori, it can be an impossible task or even risk of accident.
In this sense, the length of the ramp and its appropriate slope are calculated so that a person in a wheelchair can save it in the most autonomous way possible without facing any risk.
For this, it is taken into account that the slope of the resulting ramp should not exceed 10% when its length is less than three meters, if the resulting length is between 3 and 6 meters, the slope should be less than 8% and finally, for those ramps with lengths greater than 6 meters, the slope should exceed 6% of unevenness.
In addition, it must also be taken into account that the length of the ramp cannot exceed 9 meters, so if necessary, intermediate landings should be built with the same width as the ramp and with a length of at least 1.5 m.
Recommendations
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; you will not be solving the problem but rather making it worse. The recommendation is that the ramp be designed by a specialist technician who certifies that the construction will meet the required requirements. On the other hand, it is also important to know that for those occasions in which such construction is not technically feasible or that simply the necessary works and reforms are so many that they involve a large financial outlay, there are other options that comply with current regulations and that should also be taken into consideration before making a decision. On the one hand, stair lift platforms, which do not require works or reforms to install them, or vertical lifts, which are a comfortable and simple way to overcome small unevenness of up to 3 meters in height, are the main ones.