Portable Wheelchair Ramps

One of the most difficult aspects of living a life in a wheelchair is the access to the houses, shops and other public places. While new buildings and general services, such as parks, are especially designed for the disabled, older homes and shops are virtually inaccessible and too expensive to adapt. However, with the increasing population of wheelchair-bound citizens, providing means for greater independence, participation in daily activities and an improved quality of life are mandatory.

People survive previously fatal accidents thanks to the advancements in medical technology and the elderly live longer. Thus, the increasing need for wheelchair ramps cannot be questioned. The ramps can support the weight of an electric wheelchair and its owner. Movable ramps for the disabled are a previously non-existent adventure. Here is a list of movable ramps and their particular use:

1. Case - the wheelchair ramps are pivoted and can reach half the size of a suitcase when folded. The suitcase ramp has ascending/descending curbs. A small ramp is one or two steps less than a foot high. The ramp must be able to accomodate the folding wheelchair.

2. Multi-fold - the long portable ramp for transporting the disabled from one place to another can be folded. The design is based on 1-3 steps or the handling tends to be two feet in length.

3. Train - the one-piece, 20-inch ramp overcomes 1-3 steps. A ramp has a 2-inch border to prevent the wheels from leaving the ramp and any painful injuries.

4. Threshold - the two front wheels of small folding wheelchair can turn 360 degrees, the chair often having seemingly insignificant barriers. It is extremely difficult to enter a residence in such metal or wooden sleepers, 1-6 feet in height. Thus, threshold wheelchair ramps have the width of a standard door.

5. Rail - rail ramps are a compact solution for loading the disabled in a van or an SUV. Although an accessible van is the ideal solution for transporting the handicapped, the electronic equipment is very expensive. The ramp is placed strategically on the back or side entrance to a van or an SUV and the chair is slightly upward to level out with the support.

6. Modular - although still considered movable, modular ramps are a durable and economical solution to provide wheelchair accessibility. The ramps can be designed to fit any situation, whether the user has to turn a corner or move straight forward. Another benefit of the modular ramps is the stainless materials. The durability of the ramps is increased by the hand rails. The individual may engage the rails to prevent a runaway wheelchair on a steep slope.

7. Telescoping - the ramp has a descriptive name. Extensible, the telescoping ramp can be extended and retracted according to the situation and has oblique lines.

8. SUV/Van - A portable wheelchair ramp is designed specifically for the disabled to accommodate to the roofing, which is necessary for the disabled to be transported by SUV or van.

9. Shower/Platform - the disabled have to accommodate to the renewal of an existing house, but this can be overwhelming economically. However, some adjustments are unavoidable for security purposes. For example, showers are a dangerous endeavor, the disabled having little to no privacy if a caregiver is present. Thus, a shower, platform ramp is an appropriate response. The ramp allows the wheelchair to avoid the step and the platform allows the wheelchair to stay still under the stream of water. Now, the disabled can shower without lifting and gliding.

Accessibility is a frustrating dilemma for physically challenged individuals. They are denied even the simplest of pleasures because a wheelchair cannot be controlled when it comes to steps, steep slopes or thresholds. The fact that the disabled cannot get in a car adds insult to the injury or disability of the person in question. Life cannot be lived independently without movable ramps.