On Planning Wood Handicap Ramps

It is not a requirement for most private residences to have wheelchair ramps, but these ramps are usually provide convenience to people with issues on their mobility or to babies in strollers. Ramps are also beneficial to those who need to transfer numerous or heavy objects from a vehicle to the front of a building.

In building wood handicap ramps, one may visit the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) website. It aims to prohibit discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, transportation, public accommodation, communications, as well as governmental activities. In addition, the act also lays a foundation on the standard requirements for telecommunications relay services. The ADA website provides a full and specific documentation on the requisites for both public and commercial access ramps as well as standardized guidelines to cover benefits to a wide range of disabilities. Moreover, the website also includes planning and material guidelines.

In building wood handicap ramps, it is essential to devise a plan then to make the ramp on the spot. Planning should be done accordingly, regardless of the requirements and regulations. The planning phase in building access ramps serves as the backbone of the final output. A bad plan may lead to having a bad quality output. In planning, once should obtain measurements of the site carefully and accurately, so as to make a handicap ramp that matches the deck. The plan should also help visualize the scale and specific plan requirements can be consulted with the local planning office. Details that can be discussed with the planning office may include the required scales, the type of wood for any posts or piers to be utilized and placed into the ground, and the possible interference of digging to the electrical wires. Checking with the concerned local government offices is essential if the construction of the wood wheelchair ramp requires digging, as it can affect concealed underground pipes or wires. Usually, electrical wires are placed at least 24 to 36 inches or deeper while telephone lines are shallower.

It is best to plan in accordance to the guidelines when building and designing a wheelchair ramp, whether it is going to be made up of wood, concrete, or steel. In line with this, understanding and applying the ADA guidelines in building the access ramps will provide convenience to the people who are going to use it in the long run, not to mention safety and durability. The usual minimum and maximum slope range is 1:12. This means for every inch above the ground, there must be 12 inches of ramp length. This ratio is presents highly favorable accessibility, but it makes a very long ramp.

Aside from the public guidelines inculcated in the ADA, some cities also have building codes that are openly applicable to homes and those include the addition of access ramps. It can be verified with the building department the actions that can be and cannot be done. This allows the home or unit owner to consider variations in the plan if the site is identified to be incompatible with the requirements. When visiting the local building department, one may also consider bringing photos of the site, along with the construction plan, so as to provide them visually your plans to the site. Also, this can also help them suggest what your needs