By Michael Leary
Vice President, Access Lifts & Ramps
Whether because of age, illness, injury, or disability, many people find themselves having difficulty getting up and down stairs. These could be the stairs at the entrance of their home or on a porch or between levels inside their home.
For many people, their first thought is to install a ramp. Ramps seem like a simple and cost effective way to solve their problem. Although ramps can serve people well in some cases, their proper installation and use is a little more complicated than is commonly expected. This is because ramps can require a lot of space, can be expensive, must be kept clean of debris and snow, and sometimes are hard for people with various physical limitations to use (i.e. it can be a long walk up a ramp).
There are very specific requirements to properly install a ramp. The Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) are very specific about the use of ramps, as well as the federal, state, and local regulations governing the installation and use of ramps. For example, the angle of a ramp is referred to as the “slope”. The slope is defined by the ratio of the vertical rise (the height) to the horizontal run (the length). Since the slope of a ramp may not exceed 1:12 in order to comply with regulations, for every inch a ramp rises, it must include at least 12 inches of run or surface. So, if you need to get up and down an elevation that is just 3 feet, you will need to have a ramp that is at least 36 feet long.
And that is not all that needs to be considered. All landings must have a minimum clear length of 60 inches, and where a ramp changes direction, the landing must provide for at least 60 x 60 inches of clearance. In addition, landings must be placed every 30 feet of ramp run so that people can “rest”, at each turn, and at the top of the ramp to assist in the negotiation of doors and entrances. That means that in our example, the 36 foot ramp would also require at least one 60 x 60 inches landing. This makes the total ramp at least 133 square feet.
Vertical lifts (sometimes called Platform Lifts, or Wheelchair Lifts) are an alternative to ramps that are often overlooked. Vertical Lifts are like mini elevators that mechanically carry someone between levels. They can be installed indoors or outside and can have an open or enclosed design.
Vertical Lifts actually have many advantages over ramps. First, they require a lot less space than ramps. They generally have a “footprint” of 5 feet x 5 feet. Therefore, as in our example above, to get up the same 3 feet, would require only 25 square feet of space. Second, to fulfill the same need, the Vertical Lift can actually cost less than the construction of the ramp. Third, although the lift requires periodic maintenance to make sure it is working properly, its upkeep during inclement weather (snow, ice, etc) is a lot less.
It is recommended that you ask questions of a qualified accessibility consultant before deciding on how to take care of your accessibility needs. Not only may they be able to save you money and make your home safer, but they should be able to help you get up and down your stairs as easily, as safely, and as comfortably as possible, for years to come.