Portable Wheelchair Ramps
Wheelchair ramps that are not permanently installed and fixed to the building or vehicle are called portable wheelchair ramps. Portable wheelchair ramps can be purchased or rented from wheelchair ramp rental companies.
While permanent wheelchair ramps on buildings are typically made of cement, they can also be made of wood. Most portable wheelchair ramps are made from steel. A steel wheelchair ramp may need occasional treatment of rust.
The surface of many steel wheelchair ramps are mesh to allow water to pass through the ramp surface. The mesh prevent water from forming puddles on the ramp surface. Handrails run along the sides of portable wheelchair ramps.
The portable ramps for residences and other buildings are typically modular. They are shipped and installed in sections. The wheelchair ramp can be installed to meet the guidelines for wheelchair ramps as set by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
According to the ADA, the recommended slope of a wheelchair ramp is 1:12 or one unit in height for every twelve units in length. For example, a wheelchair ramp that must be one foot high at the entrance needs to be twelve feet long.
The installation of portable wheelchair ramps does not permanently afix the ramp to the residence or building. Building permits and tax assessments are not typically required for portable wheelchair ramps as they are for permanent ramps.
Installing a permanent wheelchair ramp can often take weeks or months depending on the availability of a contractor. Portable wheelchair ramps often only take days to install.
People use portable wheelchair ramps for temporary disability and as a temporary ramp until a permanent one can be built. Portable wheelchair ramps are also used for events when the home or building does not have easy access.
If a person renting a portable wheelchair ramp needs the ramp longer than anticipated, they can usually arrange to purchase the ramp they are renting. Some wheelchair ramp rental companies will apply part of the rental fees that the person has paid towards the cost of purchasing the wheelchair ramp.
Portable wheelchair ramps are also available for vehicles. Some people use wheelchair ramps for loading electric wheelchairs into vehicles since electric wheelchairs can be extremely heavy.
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