Portable Wheelchair Ramps: Doors To Independence

Those whose disabilities confine them to wheelchairs may be further limited because they cannot access parts of their own homes nor many public areas. But their dilemma has a solution, in the form of portable wheelchair ramps.

Portable wheelchair ramps, usually constructed from collapsible steel or aluminum, offer wheelchair users easy access to stairs and vehicles, making them essential traveling accessories. Portable wheelchair ramps are ideal options for those who do not want the expense installing permanent ramps in their homes, and allow the homeowner the luxury of having one ramp work in multiple parts of the house.

Portable wheelchair ramps were along time coming, simply because of the logistics involved in deciding appropriate slope ratios and weight tolerances. But as more and more disabled people began demanding increasingly independent lifestyles, wheelchair accessory manufacturers responded by designing portable wheelchair ramps to accommodate the individual needs of their customers.

Types Of Portable Wheelchair Ramps

The best-selling portable wheelchair ramps are the suitcase variety; these collapse to the size of a suitcase when not in use, and are usually large enough to cover one or two stairs when extended. But, even when collapsed, they remain somewhat awkward to manage, both because of their bulk and because of their average 41-pound weight.

The rolling ramp is a portable wheelchair ramp with a rather peculiar appearance. But its light weight and ease of use more than compensate for its odd looks. Its user simply finds a flat surface on which to unroll it, inverts it, and has an instant, strong ramp. Rolling portable wheelchair ramps are, in fact, both stronger and more stable than suitcase ramps.

For wheelchair users who use a van for transport, the Van portable wheelchair ramp installs quickly and will handle weights of up to weight hundred pounds. Van wheelchair ramps are constructed of lightweight aluminum and have non-skid surfaces.

Many people may decide to construct portable wheelchair ramps at home; but without being able to weigh them and test their strength they may end up whit results which are unusable, or have a disaster if they choose to use them. While homemade portable wheelchair ramps may seem like the least expensive options, the risk of danger outweighs their possible savings. Commercially produced and tested portable wheelchair ramps are simply safer.

As marvelous as wheelchairs are, they cannot by themselves bring independence to the disabled. Portable wheelchair ramps, and other wheelchair accessories, have been developed to bring new opportunities to wheelchair users, and if you'd like to find out just what wheelchair enhancements are available, you can start with an Internet search!