There are many occasions why you may need a wheelchair ramp for your home but do not need a permanent or fixed ramp. In such cases, there are many different portable access ramps designs that you can choose from.
Portable Access Ramps : Folding Ramps
If you need an access ramp, but you need to be able to take it with you places, then a foldable ramp is a good investment. A foldable ramp can be chosen from a lightweight material, and it will fold up to fit in the back of your van or wheelchair adapted car. If you or someone in your home has had an accident and will be in a wheelchair for a few months, then a foldable ramp is an easy solution that is also affordable.
Foldable ramps and steps are handy as they can be folded and stored away in your garage or other storeroom when not in use. If you have someone who visits your home who uses a wheelchair, then once again, a folding ramp to keep at your home will make visits a lot easier. Even one or two small steps leading up to your front door can make life in a wheelchair almost impossible. So, to avoid friends not visiting you because they feel they are a burden on you, invest in a foldable ramp that you can put down for when they arrive.
Portable Access Ramps : Modular and Telescopic Ramps
Like foldable ramps, modular ramps and ramps that are telescopic in design can also be taken up and put down with ease. A modular ramp will fit to the steepness of your stairs, and will provide the safety you need to ensure your wheelchair user cannot have an accident. Telescopic ramps are generally lightweight and can also fit into the back of an estate car or van.
Asides renting or buying a portable access ramp for your home for a wheelchair user, there are other things that you can do to make sure your home is a safe environment. When wheelchair use will only be temporary, ensure that you take away obstacles like furniture in the middle of the floor. Also, remove loose rugs or carpets that are impossible to wheel a chair over.
A wheelchair user should be able to move from one room to the next in your home without having to ask for help. If the chair is for a family member that has had an accident, consider moving their bed downstairs into a room such as the dining room until they are able to get back up and down stairs again.
Having to use a wheelchair should never feel like a burden for the person concerned. So ensure you kit out your home with a portable access ramp and get rid of all obstructions that will make life in a chair difficult. With temporary ramps being easy to put down and take up, anyone visiting with a wheelchair will only have to give you five minutes’ notice before they arrive.