Handicap Accessibility: Do You Need Ramps In Your Shopping Center?
If you recently opened a shopping center in your area, you want to make it accessible for all of your customers, including people with disabilities. One of the things you can do is install handicap accessible ramps throughout your property. Learn more about handicap accessible ramps and where you can place them in your shopping center below.
What Are Handicap Accessible Ramps?
Handicap accessible ramps, or wheelchair ramps, allow people with physical disabilities and other mobility problems to safely access buildings and other public places. The ADA, or Americans With Disabilities Act, established strict regulations regarding wheelchair ramps. The regulations keep you and your customers from injury and other potential hazards.
Handicap accessible ramps come with many unique features, including a sloped top and wide landing. The slope, or angle, of the ramps should be between 1:12 and 1:20. The landing width should be somewhere around 36 inches. The specifications prevent wheelchair-bound patrons from slipping off the ramps after they access them.
In addition to the specifications above, accessibility ramps should come with at least two smooth-surfaced handrails. Grips and other features may not be comfortable or safe for some customers to hold onto as they access your ramps.
The features above may be only some of the things you need to consider when installing ramps around your shopping center. For maximum safety, you must also install the ramps in the right places.
Where Should You Install Your Ramps?
If your store has multiple entrances, such as revolving doors or elevators, you want to install your ramps in these places. The ramps should be close by the entrances or within reasonable reach of the entrances.
You also want to install ramps near your open and closed parking lots. If you choose to install ramps near your lots, be sure to barricade the locations with large colorful markers, posts, or cones. The devices will help keep vehicular traffic away from your handicap accessible ramps.
If you're unsure about where to install your handicap ramps, consult a installation company immediately. An installation company can use the requirements created by the ADA to place your ramps.
An installation company may also offer other accessible products you can use for your shopping center, including wheelchair bridges and elevator lifts. You can choose to install these products with your ramps or not at all.
Learn how handicap accessible ramps can work for your shopping center by contacting a handicap accessibility ramps installation company today.