Portable Ramps
Threshold Ramps
These are small ramps that are designed to be used in a doorway to overcome door frame thresholds of up to 3″. They normally have their own leading edge and do not require to be rested on the actual threshold itself.There are a variety of different designs some of which give different raises. Don’t forget you may also need a door threshold on the inside of the door as well as the outside. Often door threshold ramps can be permently screwed to the floor, or can be portable so that you can take them with you when visiting family and friends.
Channel Ramps
Channel ramps comprise of two seperate ramps ( hence the name channel) which are used together to gain access. The ramps need to be placed at the correct distance apart for the wheelchair or scooter to travel on. These ramps cannot be used with a three wheel mobility scooter for obvious reasons.
Channel ramps can tend to be easier to move around and lighter than normal other portable ramps due to you only having to lift one ramp at a time. Channel ramps are suitable for wheelchairs and some 4 wheel mobility scooters. If you push someone in a wheelchair using a channel ramp then you need to make sure you have enough space for your feet to make it up the ramp behind them.
There are some things to be aware of when using channel ramps for scooters. One is, that on some of the larger scooters, the wheels and shroud are wider than the edge of the channel ramp edges. You can however buy larger ramps to get over this issue. Two, scooters with a lower ride height, (eg, most portables) will “ground” on the channel uprights at the top of the ramp. To avoid the scooter “grounding” choose a ramp length which will provide a gradient no steeper than 1:3.
Suitcase & Trifold
These are full width ramps that fold in half lengthways and have a carry handle in the middle, so you can carry them just like a suitcase. The Trifold design will normally fold in half lengthways and then fold widthways so that the space needed to store the ramp is reduced. It is reccommended that if you need a suitcase ramp greater than 5ft long, you should choose a Trifold design. Suitcase ramps above 5ft in length are generally very heavy.
The benefits of using a suitcase ramp are that, you don’t have to be as accurate in positioning the ramp or when manoeuvering up it someone can easily walk behind your wheelchair whilst pushing you up the ramp it can be used for a 3 wheeled scooter.The downside is that they require more material and need to be of a stronger construction than channel ramps and therefore are normally more expensive and heavier suitcase ramps are more difficult to transport and store as they don’t fold down lengthways.
Portable Wheelchair Ramps
These are small lightweight ramps of around of around 18-24″ long and wide enough for a wheelchair. They are intended to help you if you need to navigate a kerb whilst out and about.They normally come with a carry bag and can be attached behind the seat.
