Follow Wheelchair Ramp Construction Specifications

By Essie Osborn


Increased medical expertise in modern times has also led to large numbers of people who might have died but instead are confined to wheelchairs. This has seen the advent of legislation to provide ramps in buildings to make wheelchair access easier. Private homes might also need such a facility, and details of wheelchair ramp construction would be very useful to many people.

Your choice of site would depend the design of the building and the dimensions necessary to fulfil your requirements. It must also be remembered that ramps because they are less steeply inclined. You will need to take all these factors into consideration and also bear in mind that that in many cases it might prove best to provide plenty of room as an extra safety precaution.

One option is to have the ramp constructed professionally and leave it in expert hands. You can then be certain that it meets the various standards for safe wheelchair access and that construction is to the required standard. Meeting safety standards is important, as you may well be regarded as negligent if the specification is inadequate and someone is injured as a result.

If you wish to undertake construction yourself, there are plans with full construction details available online. These plans are designed to provide the necessary safety measures and a sufficiently gradual slope. If you follow this route, do not increase the slope as this will make it much more difficult and dangerous for wheelchairs to ascend, and you will probably not receive planning permission nor pass inspections..

An alternative which will have especial appeal for private homes is to install a modular unit. These are professionally designed and constructed to satisfy all the requirements and can be erected easily. Should you subsequently need to relocate for any reason, then they can easily be disassembled and taken to your new home.

It is essential to make sure the ramp design is safe and meets the specifications, whether you have it built or choose to build it yourself. The online instructions provide sufficient detail to make this a snap, but you want to be sure that any ramp meets your needs as to width and space to turn on landings. Another point is whether you might need handrails for children or only for adults.

While the ADA website has excellent standard specifications, it would be wise to discover if there are special regulations which apply locally. Factors which are most important are the materials to be used and the width and slope of the ramp. If there are no additional requirements, the ADA provides an excellent set of practical specifications.

Wheelchair ramps are becoming mandatory in buildings open to public access, but is also a good idea to fit them in homes, even if only for ground-floor access. They are much safer than stairs as they have fewer edges to cause serious injuries and descent is more controlled. Stairs are frequently the cause of very serious injuries at home, and replacing some of them will help make your home less hazardous.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment