To Ramp

Or Not To

Ramp?


To the uninitiated, curb ramps might seem a Good Thing, but not all wheelchairs perform the same on a curb ramp.

While short wheelbases mean most powered mobility devices maneuverable in small spaces, mobility scooters have a longer wheelbase but have manual steering, and most can perform a three-point turn in tight spaces. Manual wheelchairs can turn on their own wheelbase but are difficult to steer on a cross slope as they tend to turn downhill.

In fact for many people with mobility impairments, curb ramps are not critical to access. Indeed in some circumstances curb ramps make navigation more difficult.

For example crutches and canes are sized to fit the individual user to make movement as easy as possible on a hard, level surface. Move to sloped surfaces such as curb ramps and the walker must lower the body forward when going downhill, while on upward slopes, the cane or crutch must be lifted higher and placed on the surface. So when it comes to curb ramps, what might seem the best can sometimes be the enemy of the good.