Building Codes For Wheelchair Ramps

Having an external wheelchair ramp outside your home can be a big boon if you are disabled and use a wheelchair. Many people who decide to put a wheelchair ramp outside their homes choose to build it themselves rather than buying a wheelchair ramp. With modular wheelchair ramps available nowadays, it is relatively quite simple to build a wheelchair ramp. However, there is a certain building code for wheelchair ramps that must be followed.

Building Code Requirements For Wheelchair Ramps

• The section of the Uniform Building Code which pertains to wheelchair ramps states that the slope of any wheelchair ramp should not be greater than 1:8 ratio. What this means is that for every inch of rise, the ramp should be at least 8 inches long. Thus, if you need to contend with a surface that is 10 inches off ground level, the length of the chair ramp should be a minimum of 80 inches. However, this is the minimum requirement as per the building code and not the recommended one. The recommended slope should have 1:12 ratio minimum.
• If the slope of any wheelchair ramp is greater than 1:15 ratio, a handrail becomes mandatory. The height of the handrail should be a minimum of 34 inches from the ramp floor, but not higher than 38 inches. The handrail should have a clearance of at least 40mm from the wall, or whichever surface it is fixed to.
• The floor of the wheelchair ramp should be made from any kind of slip-resistant material. If the material used is not slip-resistant, the building code demands that it be made slip-resistant by sanding it or roughing it.
• For every 29 feet 6 inches length, the wheelchair ramp should have a landing, which is at least 47 inches long and as wide as the width of the ramp. If the ramp has a direction change, a landing is required there too, and such landing should be a minimum of 60 inches by 60 inches.

Thus, by following these building codes for wheelchair ramps, you can ensure that your wheelchair ramp is safe for use.