Access Restrictions
Unless you know someone in a wheelchair, you may not know how limiting life can be. Two of our sons have moved into a house that only has access via 3 steps. Our daughter Shanniah has been in a wheelchair throughout her life and without a ramp would be unable to visit her brothers.
Even visiting friends from school can be restrictive if their home is not accessible. Our experience has proven the value of carrying a folding ramp in our wheelchair accessible vehicle.
“In the small country town where we live, not many shops are accessible, preventing Shanniah from entering. Thanks to a folding ramp, she can now visit her favorite craft store to select ideas for her next project.”
Ability Motorcycles has a focus on finding solutions to restrictions that limit the quality of life, removing the disability and creating ability.
Of course if you own your own home, you may create something more permanent such as this idea below.
“Honey, do you think this would be too heavy for the sidecar?”
This article will use US spelling as I decided to keep it simple.
Curb, aluminum, sidewalk (American English)
Kerb, aluminium, footpath (British English)
Not that I have that out of the way, this article is aimed at exploring options for portable and folding ramps avoiding modification to buildings. Obtaining access will require a different length ramp for each situation.
- 3 Steps into a Home
- Access over a Roadside Curb
- Access into a Vehicle
- Threshold Step Access
1. Aluminum Folding Multi-Use Ramp
I love the versatility of this ramp. It is an economical solution for wheelchairs and scooters alike to transgress steps, load into motorcycle sidecars, vans, enter shops and other various rises and falls in daily life.
My daughter’s powered wheelchair weighs 120 kg (265 pound) and she weighs 55 kg (120 pound), giving a total of 175 kg (385 pound). This 1.5m (4.92 feet) Long Aluminum Folding Wheelchair Ramp can carry weights of up to 270kg (595 pound) whilst folding in half for easy storage. Wow, it is strong enough for me to walk up with her.
Designed with safety in mind, the wheelchair ramp comes complete with 75mm side rails to prevent wheelchairs and walkers from veering off the side as well as pre-drilled holes and locking pins to secure the ramp in place when in use. You can rest assured knowing that you’re safe while using the ramp.
The inside width of the ramp measures 680mm, perfect for most gopher scooters, walkers and wheelchairs alike.
“Can your father borrow your ramp for his MIG Welder?”
Buy online today and have the wheelchair ramp delivered to your door.
To view the current price and learn how the Aluminium Folding Wheelchair Ramp can improve access for you: Buy Product
If space is tight in your vehicle, you may not have 1.5 m (4.92 feet) available to carry the ramp. Therefore, the following ramp offers a more compact solution.
2. Multi Size Aluminum Folding Ramp
Heavy Duty, Max 275kg (606 pound) capacity, adjustable ramp with a Commercial Warranty. This ramp will suit a wheelchair, trolley, Scooter, Mower, Light Motorbike or even used as a Van Step.
This I-Max aluminum folding loading access ramp is a lightweight, durable and functional ramp design that is easy to use. The Single-Fold piece, wide style ramp, is made from aluminum offering superb strength, whilst being lightweight to provide portability.
Attendants pushing a wheelchair up the ramp will find the wide style easier to negotiate as they can walk on the ramp itself. And just like the previous ramp, safety pins can be used for securing the ramp to drilled holes, during loading/unloading.
The fold-able function and handle design provide the added advantage of being able to store the ramp at a shorter length and easy to carry.
Product Features:
Max Loading 275kg (606 pound) capacity, 73.5cm (29 inch) wide style ramp.
- Lightweight & compact
- Multi-use, suitable for wheelchair, trolley, scooter, mower, light motorbike, Van, Step etc
- Folds in half for easy storage with its compact design, handle design for easy to carry
- Safety pins promises additional security and anti-slip
- Easy to wash surface for extended long life and re-use
- One year commercial warranty
Size (L x W x H):
Small: 61cm x 73.5cm x 5cm
Medium: 122.5cm x 73.5cm x 5cm
Large: 152.2cm x 73.5cm x 5cm
To view the current price and learn how the Multi Size Aluminum Portable Folding Ramp can improve access for you: Visit eBay
3. Portable Non-Slip Pedestrian Ramp for curbs
The Oxford Plastics SafeKerb Pedestrian Ramp allows you to guarantee extra mobility and safety for your loved ones. This innovative ramp works on uneven surfaces as a transitional inclined plane for any type of wheelchair. This means that your wheelchair or gopher scooter will have no trouble getting from the lower plane on the street, to the higher level of the street or sidewalk.
Made with quality and safety in mind, the Oxford Plastics SafeKerb Ramp comes equipped with an anti-slip surface and raised slides for maximum stability. Made of quality, high-density polyethylene, this ramp is not only strong and durable, it?s also light enough to be transported anywhere it needs to be!
What I really love about this ramp is that it can be either portable, or has been designed to be bolted to the pavement for permanent use. In the following video you will see the corners where it may be bolted in place.
Features and Benefits
- Supports up to 250kg (551 pound)
- Adapts to varying curb or step heights 60mm (2.36 inches) to 160mm (6.29 inches)
- Complies and exceeds the ?Wheel Chair Boarding Ramp Specification?, the ?Safety at Street works, Code of Practice? and the ?Disability Discrimination Act? (DDA)
- Made from High-density polyethylene (HDPE).
- Recommended being bolted down for maximum stability and security.
- 100% recyclable
- Portable
- Color: yellow
- 1-Year warranty
- Complies with: AS 1428:1 Design for Access & Mobility.
Specifications
- End to end length: 1265mm (49.8 inches)
- Length between side guards: 1215mm (47.8 inches)
- Width: 747mm (29.4 inches)
- Height: 112mm (4.4 inches)
- Weight: 6kg (13.22 pounds)
To view the current price and learn how the Oxford Plastics Portable SafeKerb Pedestrian Ramp can improve access for you: Visit Ramp Champ
4. SupaGrip SafeKerb Ramp for Wheelchairs and Pedestrians
Because sometimes you want a tough ramp, this is a heavier duty curb ramp than the previous ramp. This Oxford Plastics SupaGrip SafeKerb Ramp gives anyone the freedom
of mobility. It aids the transition of wheelchairs, wheelie bins, and other wheeled vessels (MIG Welders), from a low plane to a higher-leveled plane. Made of quality HDPE, the Oxford Plastics SupaGrip Ramp is impressively durable without sacrificing being lightweight.
Its sides provide secure gripping that makes it stable without needing to bolt it down to any surface. If you want to bolt it down, it has been designed on the corners to achieve this. Despite its light nature, this ramp also supports up to 350kgs (771 pound).
My Honda Shadow 750 weighs 250 kg (553 pounds), so it is a tough little ramp indeed.
Features and Benefits
- Supports up to 350kgs (771 pound)
- Complies and exceeds the
?Wheel Chair Boarding Ramp Specification?, the ?Safety at Street works,
Code of Practice? and the ?Disability Discrimination Act? (DDA) - Made from High-density polyethylene (HDPE).
- 100% recyclable
- Portable
- Color: yellow
- 1-Year warranty
Specifications:
- Overall Width: 1282mm (50.47 inches)
- Width between side guards: 1219mm (48 inches)
- Length: 760mm (29.9 inches)
- Weight: 10kg (22 pound)
To view the current price and learn how the Oxford Plastics SupaGrip SafeKerb Ramp can improve access for you: Visit Ramp Champ
Doorstep Threshold Ramp
Sometimes you may just require access into a room with just a tiny step to overcome. Because the front caster wheels on my daughter’s powered wheelchair are small, I had to make a wooden access ramp to enable easy access and prevent damage to the sliding door track.
However, this does not help me when we visit people that have a threshold step. You either need two strong people to lift the front casters, or you can use one of these.
5. Rubber Threshold Ramp – Wheelchair Access Door Step Wedge
Item Description
Matpro Rubber Access Ramp provides a quick and easy simple ramp solution necessary to go through the single step access at the entry door. This ramp is made from durable slip resistant rubber which helps prevent tipping, which often occurs with a powered wheelchair as one powered wheel drives unevenly to the other. In fact, it usually causes the wheelchair to push against the fly wire door. At least carrying one of these mini ramps, I can relax knowing Shanniah can move safely and level through the doorway.
Product Features
- Great for wheelchair access
- Suitable for ambulant access
- Complies with 1:8 gradient
- Dimensions: 900 x 200 x 25mm rise
To view the current price and learn how the Rubber Threshold Wheelchair Access Ramp can improve access for you: Visit eBay
I hope this wheelchair accessible ramp review has been helpful in selecting the correct ramp for your needs. Each ramp serves its own unique purpose, and as I have found, some ramps are too long and others are too short.
A short ramp will be too steep an incline to use in multiple steps and a long ramp can be too long to fit on a balcony or porch.
Together we can make this an accessible world.
Check out my other website, click the link below 🙂
The Ability Motorcycles website was created to enable the sharing of information and projects to benefit others. We do not sell motorcycles. If you believe this world should not exclude anyone, and you love motorbikes, then Ability Motorcycles is the place to share that passion.
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Thank you for visiting Ability Motorcycles. Dave
