Nowadays, access for the handicapped is a legislated part of architectural design. One thing that people who use wheelchairs struggle with is a staircase or other stepped entrance. Older buildings may not have wheelchair-friendly features. Some homes are not equipped with them either. If you are facing this issue, there are wheelchair ramp installers in Greenville SC who can assist.
Buildings which are constructed to be wheelchair accessible have characteristic features, such as a rising concrete pathway at the main entrance, or a metal slope bolted down next to the entrance stairs. They might also have a curbless entrance, if the inside floor is level with the outside terrain. These are standard methods of accommodating those less able.
However, for new buildings, or those which require modification, there are specific guidelines in national law. Buildings need to comply with these guidelines to be classified as officially accessible to the handicapped through the use of ramps. The regulations are simple to apply and very specific in their detail.
A primary objective in designing a ramp is to ensure that it is not too difficult to climb. It must be easy to roll up, i. E. Its slope must not be too steep. Designers should always keep in mind that a wheelchair is usually propelled by the physical strength of its user. By law, the structure may not have a slope steeper than 1:12, or one inch in climb to one foot of ramp. Those in private homes may, however, increase the slope up to a ratio of 2:12.
The total length of the ramp is not legislated, but it cannot have a continuous length of more than 30 feet. This means that after 30 feet of length, there should be a flat landing or the structure must terminate entirely. Imagine trying to push your own body weight uphill for more than 30 feet. Users may suffer fatigue over a longer distance than the legislated maximum.
Landings must be at least 60 inches wide, and if a landing is at a turn, it has to be at least 60 by 60 inches square. Wheelchairs take up more space than a standing or seated person. Moving or parking a wheelchair requires more room than able-bodied motion, especially if there is a turn involved.
The surface should be non-slip. This is extremely important because a wheelchair and its user may have a substantial combined weight. In the absence of proper traction, the turning force of the wheels might cause them to slide, which is disconcerting for the user and also hazardous. The surface should offer good grip in both dry and wet weather.
Some users prefer to mount ramps by pulling themselves along on handrails. Handrails are not supposed to extend higher than 28 inches. Their design should be such that they can be gripped hard without causing pain. Their material should be one that is possible to hold onto. Whether through choice or emergency, some users need to have rails available to them.
The independence of disabled people is a human right enshrined in the constitution. They too have employment and social lives. Ramps are one way of saying that they are equal members of society.
Buildings which are constructed to be wheelchair accessible have characteristic features, such as a rising concrete pathway at the main entrance, or a metal slope bolted down next to the entrance stairs. They might also have a curbless entrance, if the inside floor is level with the outside terrain. These are standard methods of accommodating those less able.
However, for new buildings, or those which require modification, there are specific guidelines in national law. Buildings need to comply with these guidelines to be classified as officially accessible to the handicapped through the use of ramps. The regulations are simple to apply and very specific in their detail.
A primary objective in designing a ramp is to ensure that it is not too difficult to climb. It must be easy to roll up, i. E. Its slope must not be too steep. Designers should always keep in mind that a wheelchair is usually propelled by the physical strength of its user. By law, the structure may not have a slope steeper than 1:12, or one inch in climb to one foot of ramp. Those in private homes may, however, increase the slope up to a ratio of 2:12.
The total length of the ramp is not legislated, but it cannot have a continuous length of more than 30 feet. This means that after 30 feet of length, there should be a flat landing or the structure must terminate entirely. Imagine trying to push your own body weight uphill for more than 30 feet. Users may suffer fatigue over a longer distance than the legislated maximum.
Landings must be at least 60 inches wide, and if a landing is at a turn, it has to be at least 60 by 60 inches square. Wheelchairs take up more space than a standing or seated person. Moving or parking a wheelchair requires more room than able-bodied motion, especially if there is a turn involved.
The surface should be non-slip. This is extremely important because a wheelchair and its user may have a substantial combined weight. In the absence of proper traction, the turning force of the wheels might cause them to slide, which is disconcerting for the user and also hazardous. The surface should offer good grip in both dry and wet weather.
Some users prefer to mount ramps by pulling themselves along on handrails. Handrails are not supposed to extend higher than 28 inches. Their design should be such that they can be gripped hard without causing pain. Their material should be one that is possible to hold onto. Whether through choice or emergency, some users need to have rails available to them.
The independence of disabled people is a human right enshrined in the constitution. They too have employment and social lives. Ramps are one way of saying that they are equal members of society.
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