Handicapped Access Ramps

Many clubs build handicapped access ramps as a service for their community disabled.  It’s important to insist that your construction meet ADA requirements. A ramp that does not meet ADA requirements will unintentionally devalue the home and will have to be removed prior to placing the home on the market. The ADA requirements are summarized here:

• ADA standards require a 1:12 ramp slope ratio which equals 4.8 degrees slope or one foot of wheelchair ramp for each inch of rise. For instance, a 30 inch rise requires a 30 foot handicap wheelchair ramp.
• ADA standards require a minimum 5' x 5' Flat, unobstructed area at the top and bottom of the ramp.
• ADA standards require the clear width of a ramp run and, where handrails are provided, the clear width between handrails to be 36 inches minimum.
• ADA standards require a minimum turn platform size of 5' x 5'.
• ADA standards for wheelchair ramps allow a Maximum run of 30 feet of wheelchair ramp before a rest or turn platform. That's a maximum rise of 30" before a rest or turn platform.
• ADA  standards require ADA ramp handrails that are between 34" and 38" in height on both sides of the wheelchair ramps.