Wheelchair ramps are essential for improving the quality of life, enhancing mobility, and promoting independence for those who use wheelchairs and other mobility devices.
Whether you're adding a more accessible ramp for your home or investing in commercial ramps for a business, choosing the right material can play a significant role in the safety and maintenance costs of your ramp in the long run. In this guide, we'll explore the top materials used in constructing wheelchair ramps, helping you make the ideal decision for your specific needs.
Factors to Consider
Selecting the best material for your wheelchair ramp involves weighing several factors, including durability, maintenance requirements, weight capacity, ease of installation, portability, and resistance to weather.
Durability: How long do you expect the ramp to last? Are you ok with ordering a replacement within five years, or do you need a model to last decades?
Maintenance: What ramp maintenance are you able to perform? Some
Football season is finally here! As a fan, there's nothing quite like the thrill of being in the stands, cheering for your team and soaking in the atmosphere.
For those with mobility restrictions, going to a game can sometimes feel like a daunting task. Sitting for hours at a time, endless stairs, and dealing with inclement weather can put a damper on even the most exciting games. In this blog post, we'll go over everything you need to know to enjoy a game day without sacrificing your comfort or safety.
Before Game Day
Check for accessible seating: Review seating options online, or contact the venue to ask for their accessible seating options. This is especially important if you use a wheelchair or powerchair since they usually require special seating preferences. Even if you don’t require accessible-assigned seating, you may want to intentionally purchase seats at the end of a row for more legroom and easier transfers.
Research transportation: Make sure you know what your transportation
Wheelchair ramps can play an important role in making your house accessible to those with mobility challenges.
If you decide on installing a wheelchair ramp in your home, your next question might be: do I build it myself or purchase a pre-made wheelchair ramp? There are benefits and drawbacks to each, depending on your skill level, budget, ramp needs, and more.
In this blog, we’ll go over the pros and cons of each wheelchair ramp type (purchased vs DIY), as well as a “middle ground” option that we highly recommend for home wheelchair ramps.
Build a Wheelchair Ramp Yourself
When researching for your home wheelchair ramp, you’ll likely see countless guides and recommendations to just build a ramp yourself! This DIY approach can seem tempting due to cost savings and customizability, but the benefits don’t always outweigh the drawbacks.
How to Build a Wheelchair Ramp?
Thinking about building your own wheelchair ramp, but unsure of where to start? Here’s a general guide on all the steps
Looking for a more comfortable sleep experience for yourself or a loved one? Adjustable home care beds can provide all the adjustability and positioning benefits of a hospital bed, while matching your bedroom decor and traditional mattress sizes.
Read more to learn about the difference between an adjustable home care bed and hospital beds, electric vs manual home care beds, and the top rated adjustable home care beds on the market today.
What are Adjustable Home Care Beds?
Adjustable home care beds are beds designed for individuals who need a bit more support and comfort than traditional bedframes. Typically used in a home environment, these beds are often designed to blend in with other home furniture (rather than appearing clinical or like a “hospital bed”). With adjustable home care beds, you can adjust the head and foot sections, raise or lower the height of the bed, or switch to any other number of positions for sleeping or lounging. Adjustable home care beds are also often designed
Are you looking for a new wheelchair ramp to install in your home? While wheelchair ramps can transform everyday accessibility and independence for users, purchasing a ramp can be a financial challenge for many.
In this blog, we’ll answer a common question about wheelchair ramp installation– “Will my medical insurance cover this?”.
Unfortunately, there’s no straightforward answer. While insurance coverage for wheelchair ramps is minimal, plenty of insurance waivers, federal programs, and community resources exist to help reduce the cost of installing a wheelchair ramp in your home.
Read on to learn more about if your specific medical insurance may cover a ramp, as well as additional financial aid options available to you.
Medicare Coverage
Does Medicare cover wheelchair ramps? Unfortunately, most of the time the answer is "no". While Medicare plans do classify wheelchair ramps as Durable Medical Equipment (DME), they are not considered to “directly treat a medical condition”, and
Do you or a loved one frequently use a mobility aid but want to live an active and travel-friendly lifestyle? Vehicle wheelchair ramps and vehicle wheelchair lifts make it easy to transfer heavy mobility aids (such as a wheelchair or power scooter) into a vehicle.
In this guide, we'll go over the differences between a wheelchair vehicle ramp vs lift, and which option may be best suited for your needs.
Vehicle Ramp
A sloping surface that allows the mobility device to roll from the ground directly into the vehicle (and vice versa!). Vehicle wheelchair ramps are often used in vans and SUVs, and are best suited for vehicles where the floor is closer to the ground.
Vehicle wheelchair ramps can come in portable, motorized, or manual options.
Vehicle Lift
Vehicle wheelchair lifts effortlessly raise a wheelchair or scooter into the vehicle with the touch of a button. Usually installed in full-sized vans, wheelchair lifts keep the passenger upright throughout the transfer process– no need
Looking for the best alternating pressure mattress or pressure relief mattress for you or a loved one? We’ve got you covered– here’s everything you need to know to find the perfect model of mattress for your needs and budget.
To start, let’s go over exactly what pressure relief and alternating pressure mattresses are and how it can benefit you or a loved one. They are specialized mattresses that are designed to distribute weight and reduce pressure points evenly.
Benefits of these mattresses include:
Improved sleep and help
Prevention of health conditions like bed sores, pressure ulcers, and poor circulation
Spinal support
And more…
While pressure redistribution and alternating pressure can benefit almost everyone, these mattresses are particularly important for users who:
Want to prevent pressure ulcers and bed sores
Experience painful joints
Have problems with circulation
Pressure Relief vs Alternating Pressure Mattresses- What’s the Difference?
Do you rent an apartment, condo, or home and are in need of a wheelchair ramp? Wheelchair ramps can dramatically increase everyday accessibility for mobility device users.
If you would like to install a wheelchair ramp as a renter, you may have a handful of questions, such as:
How do I ask my landlord to approve a wheelchair ramp installation?
Who pays for a new wheelchair ramp?
What wheelchair ramps are best for renters?
This guide will tell you everything you need to know about adding a wheelchair ramp to your rented home, so that you can create more accessible, safe pathways for you or loved ones.
The Fair Housing Act
Under the Fair Housing Act (FHA), landlords are required to provide “reasonable accommodations” for tenants with disabilities, so that they ensure all tenants have equal access to housing. This definition of “reasonable” accommodations can vary depending on the situation.
In some cases, reasonable modifications can include allowing the installation of a wheelchair
For many power wheelchair users, this mobility device can be the single most important tool to lead an independent, active, and fulfilling life. However, just like any other device or car, a power wheelchair can occasionally break down, require maintenance, or need to be replaced altogether.
The best time to start planning to purchase a new power wheelchair is before you need one. In this guide, we'll go over the average lifespan of an electric wheelchair, as well as signs to look out for when your mobility device may be reaching the end of its life. Planning ahead gives you the time to research and make an informed decision, rather than rushing into a quick purchase because of a sudden emergency.
How Long Do Power Wheelchairs Last?
The average lifespan of a power wheelchair is around five years. However, this can vary depending on factors like the frequency of use, terrain it’s used on, and how well you take care of it. This lifespan estimate is for the general frame of the chair: other
As we grow older or experience illness, accessibility can play a critical role in visiting new destinations.
If you regularly use a manual or powered wheelchair, power scooter, or rollator, you're all too familiar with the importance of accessibility. There's nothing worse than being excited to visit a bucket list destination or new restaurant, only to find uneven ground that makes it inaccessible to wheelchair users.
Don't let accessibility limitations negatively affect your travel experience. For those unexpected travel situations, you need portable ramps. In this guide, we'll go over how these access ramps can transform your independence while on-the-go.
What is a Portable Wheelchair Ramp?
A portable wheelchair ramp is what it sounds like: a wheelchair ramp designed to fold or disassemble with ease. These ramps are lightweight, offer easy installation, and provide a proactive and flexible solution for overcoming accessibility challenges when traveling.
