How To Choose A Wheelchair Ramp
- ADA compliance
Does the ramp you're buying complies with ALL of the guidelines? Does the manufacturer state this specifically?
- Width
Not all wheelchairs and power scooters have the same width. There are ordinary wheelchairs, pediatric and bariatric wheelchairs where on each of them the width could varies by ten inches and even more. Measure your wheelchair and be sure to buy/make a ramp wide enough for your wheelchair and for others that might be using the same ramp as you. Usually a 30 inch wide ramp (which translates to 29.5 inch working width) is sufficient for a standard 24 inches wide wheelchair.
- Length
The length of the ramp you need depend on the rise/height and the angle degrees. ADA recommended a 9.5 degree incline so for 10 inches incline you need a 5 feet ramp. You should check your wheelchair manual to see the recommended incline degrees for your wheelchair. For example Pronto M61 wheelchair's manual state that the maxium incline is 9 degrees. Yours may vary.
- Type
Do you need a lightweight and portable handicap ramp or permanent? If you own an RV you may not want a portable or permanent ramp because none of them are quite fit for RV. You could opt for an RV ramp system which is a temporary ramp specifically made for RVs and trailers. It is certainly non-portable due to it's size and weight and you also need a couple of minutes to assemble and disassemble it.
- Indoor use only or outdoor too?
Ramps manufacturers usually say whether their products are for indoor use only or for both indoor and outdoor. If you're not sure it's safer to ask them directly rather than just guessing.
- Material
Light weight portable ramps are made from alumunium. Portable ramp manufacturers use aluminium because it's light but sturdy enough. Steel and wood are mostly for permanent ramps though sometimes alumunium is used also..
- Does it have a slip resistant surface?
A non-slip driving surface is strictly required. A portable wheelchair ramp made from aluminium or steel can be slippery especially when wet. That's why a non-skid/non-slip/traction tape "glued" on the alumunium or a texturized alumunium surface is mandatory feature for ramps either portable or permanent. Whatever material it's made of a non-slip surface is unnegotiable for usability and safety. A slippery ramp is not accessible, a hindrance and also dangerous to wheelchair users.
- How much weight does it have to support?
The ramp must be able to withstand your weight plus the wheelchair plus anything else you might carry on the wheelchair backpack plus a caregiver if you happen to need one. For example if you weight 150 lbs, your power wheelchair is 110 lbs, 10 lbs of groceries and your caregiver weight 160 lbs then you need a ramp with at least 430 lbs capacity. Luckily, most portable ramps in the market has much higher capacity than that. A ramp with 700 lbs is common and the price is affordable. A ramp with such capacity is definitely suffice for most occasion .
- The weight or the ramp
This only matters with portable ramps. The longer the ramp the heavier it gets. A 5 feet portable ramp that you can use for 10 inches vertical rise could weight about 25 pounds. For some that much weight is on the verge of "portable" especially if you happen to be someone who prefer to travel alone. A ramp that heavy could be a problem to load and unload.
- How much does it cost and how much maintenance will it need?
Permanent ramps made from wood may need occasional sanding and other maintenance in case splinters starting to show up. The non-slip surface may need replacing once in a while though a little dent here and there shouldn't be much of a problem.
- Buy or Build?
If there's a ready made model that will suit your needs then you could just buy one but if you have special needs/requirements then you need to get the ramp custom made.
- What kind of warranty does the dealer offer and how much will the shipping cost (many dealers offer free shipping)?
The most common warranty you'll find is a one year limited warranty. The manufacturer will warrant their ramps against defects in workmanship and materials one year from the date of purchase. Remember that the warranty void if the damage is caused by neglect, misuse,improper installation/repair or exceeding the ramps' weight limit
- Incline degrees
The lower the degrees the easier it is to use the ramp but the ramp gets longer too. If you buy a 5 feet ramp and your wheelchair manual state that the maximum incline is 9 degrees then the maximum rise when using the ramp is about 9.4 inches.
- Semi-permanent mountings?
Portable ramps sometimes to have built-in anchor holes for semi-permanent mounting to your vehicle. Not totally necessary but can be useful at times.
