Wheelchair Ramps - Finding A Strong, Yet Lightweight Solution

Most mobility products, such as scooters or wheelchair, are designed to be folded down or disassembled to fit inside the trunk of your car easily (and usually very quickly), making them versatile and highly portable. Another available option is to use an attachment to hitch mobility scooters to the back of the car assembled and ready to use. Unfortunately, although wheelchairs ramps come in a variety of styles, both temporary and permanent, and in a range of materials from wood to steel or aluminium, they are usually very heavy, very large and unyielding, making them not very portable indeed.  There are reasons for this, the first being the required ratio of the ramps slope in relation to the height of the step/s you wish to ascend. The length of the mobility scooters will increase proportionally with the required height, and thereby drastically increasing the ramps weight. The second reason is the fact that the material of the mobility scooters will have to safely support the weight put upon it. Although wheelchairs are usually made from lightweight materials, combined with the user and another person pushing the chair (or, if you have an electric wheelchair, the weight of a battery and a motor), there is quite a heavy load to support. Most ramps are rated with a minimum load of 500 lb. Many manufacturers try to exceed this, again increasing the weight. So far, size and weight of mobility scooters have made it almost impossible for a wheelchair user to carry a ramp around. However, efforts are now on the way to improve this situation. There are already a few attempts at solutions on the market, like the suitcase ramp, for instance. This ramp, when folded up, is about the same size as a suitcase. Unfolded, mobility scooters will allow you to rise one or two steps (this depends on the manufacturer). However, being the size they are and at a weight of around 41 lb, they are probably more suitable for use with a scooter. Another possible option is a so called rolling ramp. Rolling ramps are relatively light and can be rolled in one direction only. To be used, they are unrolled on an even surface, then flipped over. They will then interlock and provide a strong ramp. Although they ar much more portable and often stronger than one of the suitcase ramps, they are still better suited for scooter users. And then , of course, there are home made ramps. Their use is not really recommended, as they have not been tested for strength. Frequently made purely from wood, they are also often seen to be put at inadvisable angles, increasing the risk of injury to the user. As it is, many wheelchair users prefer them, as they are usually very slim, reasonably lightweight, easy to carry around and just as easy to use. With many new materials and new technology being developed daily, one can only hope that real, safe solutions for portable mobility scooters can be found in the near future.