Home > Independent Living Products > Mobility > wheelchair ramps
Wheelchair Ramps
Suppliers of ramps. Clicking on a highlighted name will open their showcase page in a new window:
Access Needs
Allans Access Ramps
Bentley Fielden
Care & Mobility
Discount Scooters
Force Ten
Co
Gowrings Mobility
Koller Engineering
Portaramp
Promedics
A
really neat new modular ramp system, the Flexiloc, uses polyurethane tiles
which interlock together to form a tough but flexible semi-permanent solution.
There are six kits available, containing sets of pre-assembled ramps,
which can be used over and over again, to overcome obstacles up to a height
of 15cm and a width of 75cm.
These versatile ramp kits can be used to enter and leave buildings; move through doorways within the home; overcome steps; move easily into conservatories or from the patio to the garden.
The tiles have excellent drainage capability, keeping the surface dry, and will not fade in the sun. They can be safely placed against damp courses, airbricks and drainage grates and, because they are semi-permanent, they have no impact on protected buildings. This is a Danish modular ramp system, available in the UK from Gowrings.
A
more permanent structure, such as the one on the left, makes sense wherever
regular wheelchair access is required. With a non-slip surface and easy
grip handrails, it is equally suitable for ambulant users with reduced
mobility.
In the house, a threshold ramp (right) is a quick and convenient way to bridge small variations in floor level. Ramps such as these can make quite a bit of difference to getting around in a chair.
Portable
ramps can be moved quickly to wherever they are needed - to get in and
out of a vehicle, for example, or up or down an occasional step. These
ramps (left) are telescopic, closing down when not in use.
The ramp on the right is lightweight fibreglass and comes in lengths from 2' to 7'. A very competitively priced alternative to a permanent ramp structure for providing access, this type of ramp can be used by three wheeled scooters, as well as wheelchairs and four wheeled scooters. It is supplied by Bentley Fielden.
What length ramp do you need?
For fixed concrete ramps, Building Regulations would generally suggest a gradient of 1 in 12 (eg: a 3" height would require a 36" ramp).
However, this is a guideline, and not a legal requirement. If space permits, this is the ideal gradient, but often the height that needs to be bridged is too great to allow such a length, particularly on narrow footpaths etc.
Where only occasional use of a portable ramp is required, for powered scooters / electric wheelchairs (or a manual wheelchair with assistance), a gradient of 1 in 6 is adequate. (eg: a 6" step requires a 36" ramp).
back to wheelchair accessories [ • ] on to stairlifts & vertical lifts