According to The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), “All publicly owned buildings and institutions; such as government buildings, schools, and hospitals are required by law to be accessible to people with disabilities. Therefore, these structures must include wheelchair ramps to be fully ADA compliant.”
It should also be noted that all buildings, public and private, are encouraged to make their facilities as accessible as possible for people with disabilities. Of course, codes can change and the list of specifications that follows this paragraph is just a brief starter point to give you a general understanding for the requirements that a correctly installed wheelchair ramp needs. For more specifications on wheelchair ramps and other important issues relating to the ADA, please visit their webpage. If you need further assistance, we at Access Advocates will be more than happy to speak with you and help you to ensure that your building is compliant in every aspect.
The following is a brief set of basic code regulations from the ADA for installation of a wheelchair ramp:
- Wheelchair ramps must contain one foot of ramp for every one inch of height of stage, platform or whatever object it is connected to.
- 38 inch high handrails are acceptable for up to a 30 feet ramp. After 30 feet, 42 inch high handrails are required.
- If the wheelchair ramp exceeds 30 feet, a 4 x 4 flat rest stop is required.
- An easy to board start at the beginning of the ramp to allow easy access for all wheelchairs.
- Handrails need to be continuous.
Access Advocates is a team of architects, engineers, and technicians who specialize in Federal Compliance issues. We are team of caring professionals who help you make buildings more accessible per the American’s with Disabilities Act (ADA).
We are also recognized by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) as one of the premier companies in the United States dealing with Federal Compliance issues. Contact us today if we can help you with any compliance issues.