Editing Wheelchair ramp (section)

{{Short description|Incline allowing wheelchair users to move between areas of different height}}
{{Globalize|date=October 2012}}
[[File:Mairie de Boinville-le-Gaillard 4.jpg|thumb|A concrete wheelchair ramp]]
[[Image:Chartres, Hôtel Montescot 08 rampe PMR.jpg|thumb|A portable wheelchair ramp]]

A '''wheelchair ramp''' is an [[inclined plane]] installed in addition to or instead of [[stairway|stairs]]. Ramps permit [[wheelchair]] users, as well as people pushing [[stroller]]s, [[cart]]s, or other wheeled objects, to more easily access a building, or navigate between areas of different height.  Ramps for accessibility may predate the wheelchair and are found in ancient Greece.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Curry |first1=Andrew |title=Ramps for disabled people trace back to ancient Greece |journal=Science |date=20 July 2020 |doi=10.1126/science.abd9196 |s2cid=225541656 |url=https://www.science.org/content/article/ramps-disabled-people-trace-back-ancient-greece |access-date=29 July 2020 |archive-date=30 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730203809/https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/07/ramps-disabled-people-trace-back-ancient-greece |url-status=live |url-access=subscription }}</ref>

A wheelchair ramp can be permanent, semi-permanent or portable. Permanent ramps are designed to be bolted or otherwise attached in place. Semi-permanent ramps rest on top of the ground or concrete pad and are commonly used for the short term. Permanent and semi-permanent ramps are usually of aluminum, concrete or wood. Portable ramps are usually aluminum and typically fold for ease of transport. Portable ramps are primarily intended for home and building use but can also be used with vans to load an unoccupied mobility device or to load an occupied mobility device when both the device and the passenger are easy to handle.

Ramps must be carefully designed in order to be useful. In many places, laws dictate a ramp's minimum width and maximum slope.<ref name="ADA, 405">{{Cite web|url=http://www.ada.gov/regs2010/2010ADAStandards/2010ADAstandards.htm#pgfId-1006877|work=2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design|date=September 15, 2010|publisher=US Department of Justice|title=405 Ramps|access-date=August 23, 2015|archive-date=August 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150822083123/http://www.ada.gov/regs2010/2010ADAStandards/2010ADAstandards.htm#pgfId-1006877|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="MA, ADA">{{Cite web|url=http://www.mobility-advisor.com/wheelchair-ramp-specs.html|title=ADA Wheelchair Ramp Specs|website=Mobility Advisor|access-date=2015-08-23|archive-date=2015-08-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150809111658/http://www.mobility-advisor.com/wheelchair-ramp-specs.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

In general, reduced incline rises are easier for wheelchair users to traverse and are safer in icy climates. However, they consume more space and require traveling a greater distance to go up. Hence, in some cases it is preferable to include an [[elevator]] or other type of [[wheelchair lift]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.handi-lift.com/articles/ramps-vs-lifts/|title=Ramps vs. Lifts {{!}} Handi-Lift|website=www.handi-lift.com|language=en|access-date=2017-05-09|archive-date=2017-10-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010004823/http://www.handi-lift.com/articles/ramps-vs-lifts/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In many countries, wheelchair ramps and other features to facilitate [[Universal design|universal access]] are required by [[building code]] when constructing new facilities which are open to the public. Internationally, the [[United Nations]] [[Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities]] mandates nations take action to "enable persons with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life." Among other requirements, it compels countries to institute "minimum standards and guidelines..." for accessibility. <ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities.html|title=Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) {{!}} United Nations Enable|website=www.un.org|language=en-US|access-date=2017-05-09|archive-date=2017-05-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170511010537/https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities.html|url-status=live}}</ref>