Which Type Of Wheelchair Ramp Is Best For You?
Wheelchairs may be designed to increase a user's mobility but there's no getting around the fact that they aren't designed to cope with steps, thresholds or cars. This is where using a portable wheelchair ramp can make a real difference. However before you purchase one you need to consider which is the most suitable type for you.
One of the most popular is the single fold wheelchair ramp as it is easy to put in place. Usually made of aluminium they are relatively sturdy, light and portable. The downside is that usually a 5 foot ramp stays 5 foot long when folded, as often it's the width that gets folded. This can make them rather awkward to store or transport.
A telescopic wheelchair ramp gets round this problem by being extendible. This particular type of ramp usually comes as a pair of narrow channel ramps that can be extended or retracted as necessary. This makes them easy to transport but they have to be aligned carefully when used. A more expensive form of telescopic ramp comes as two wide sections, with one nested inside the other so it can be extended out as necessary.
Suitcase ramps are designed for maximum portability and are usually best used for shorter slopes. They can come as a plain ramp that is single fold with handles and straps for easy carrying. You can also buy telescopic suitcase ramps that are even more portable, again with handles on the side for carrying.
Channel wheelchair ramps consist of two very narrow ramps with low walled edges to prevent the wheels coming off the ramps. They can be telescopic, rigid one piece or fold up. They are very light to move around but care must be taken to correctly position the two ramps apart before use.
Another form of wheelchair ramp is the roll-up. As the name suggests you simply have to roll it out when you want to use it and then simply roll it back up again when it is no longer required. This makes it very portable. You should be aware thought that some roll-up ramps are more robust than others.
The more expensive ones are quite substantial and therefore somewhat on the bulky side when it comes to putting one in the back of a car. However they can be used as a permanent or semi-permanent wheelchair ramp. The cheaper and less robust ramps will roll up quite small but they can only be used for relatively small slopes as they aren't as robust as a solid ramp. Also they are only suitable for temporary use.
As you can see there is a wheelchair ramp available that is suitable for most situations and budgets. So getting someone into a vehicle while still in their wheelchair doesn't need to be a problem. And visiting friends and relatives doesn't have to be an awkward experience when it comes to thresholds if you have a portable wheelchair ramp to hand.