When I 1st needed to use a wheelchair I thought life would be easier. I had new mobility equipment a wheelchair and I was ready. I thought getting around now would be a piece of cake. However, I didn’t think about how I was going to get into my house when I got out of hospital!

The step into the house wasn’t that big, but when my wife was pulling me and my wheelchair up over it – I realised we needed a ramp and quick! My brother is a joiner and he made a temporary ramp for me out of wood. I must say, it did the trick. My wife didn’t need to be a weightlifter to get me into the house anymore. But I wanted something a bit more professional looking!

There were so many to choose from:

• threshold ramps
• broad ramps
• suitcase ramps
• channel ramps

This is my run down of what they are:

Threshold ramp
These are short ramps that you put up against a door frame. Usually inside the house. If you have double glazed doors, they have a lip at the bottom. Unless you are brilliant at wheelies you need a ramp to get over them yourself! I have one from the dining room into the conservatory and at the back door. The conservatory one goes up at one side over the lip and down the other side. It stays there all the time. The door doesn’t close while it is there, but it doesn’t matter as it is inside the house. At the back door however, it needs to move for the door to close. This is OK as the ramp is really lightweight – it is only fibre glass.

Broad ramps
These are designed to take a whole wheelchair or a 3 wheel scooter. Obviously a 3 wheel scooter can’t use a channel ramp, as the front wheel has nothing to use! You can get ones that fold up, so you can store them easier, or put them in the car. Some even roll up. They are great for getting up a step, or raised landings. They are bigger than a threshold ramp, so are not so steep.

Suitcase ramps
These generally fold up or come apart, but have handles on them (hence the name) so you can carry them easily. They are designed to be highly portable. They can be used for scooters or wheelchairs.

Channel ramps
These come in pairs. One ramp for the left side of your wheelchair or 4 wheel scooter and one for the right. Again you can get folding/portable ones for getting you into a vehicle and for easy storage.

I think you need to ask yourself an important question before you buy a ramp:

It may sound obvious but… What do you need the ramp for?

• Getting you and your wheelchair in and out of buildings.
• Using your wheelchair or scooter inside buildings.
• Getting a mobility scooter into the car.
• Something else?

You also need to ask:

Do you want a portable ramp that you can take away with you?
Do you have a step or door that you want a ramp on permanently?
Do you have a step in the garden that needs ramping?

Tips

Backwards or forwards?
I have a threshold ramp at the back door. It is great, but I find going backwards makes it much easier. As it is a quite short ramp, it is quite steep, therefore big wheels 1st is the best way to go!

A person to help you
If you are using a ramp for the 1st time, sometimes it is not a practical one. I used one where there was a threshold ramp, but there was still a lip at the top. I needed someone to help me at the top – I would have been stuck otherwise.

It is also helpful to have someone around when you are getting used to the ramps in your house. Sometimes they are not positioned quite right, or it is just plain scary the 1st time you use it!

Going down
Make sure you take care when going down a ramp. Especially ones on the outside of buildings. It is easy to go far too fast and either tip at the bottom or crash! Go as slowly as you can.

Author: Jason