Wheelchair ramp
The term wheelchair ramp describes an inclined surface or a driveway specially designed for use with wheelchairs .
There are different types of ramps, depending on the design and the purpose of use, with overlapping purposes or designations. With regard to mobility, a distinction can be made between built-in ramps, folding ramps and mobile ramps.
Built-in and folding ramps
Installation ramps and folding ramps are connected to a building or to a transport vehicle at least on one side. It can mean both an immobile connection (especially on buildings) or a foldable connection (especially on vehicles). Mobile ramps are placed between the uneven levels and removed again without fastenings; they can usually also be easily transported. They are often only used when there is local demand or at locations that change depending on the application.
Mobile ramps
As a separate, independent and mobile part, a wheelchair ramp is designed for use with wheelchairs, including the person sitting in it, in terms of the track width and load-bearing capacity . They should be able to carry the weight of both lightweight folding wheelchairs and heavier power wheelchairs, including the user and, if necessary, an accompanying person. Lower requirements are placed on the load capacity if the wheelchair ramp is only used for loading an electric wheelchair. Is very often the execution of steel - or aluminum - profiled sheet with or without pronounced lateral boundaries.
Rigid ramps or loading ramps
The ramp has no moving parts. Products of this type can be used as fixed or mobile ramps.
Folding, telescopic and suitcase ramps
The ramp consists of two or more parts that can be pushed into one another or are connected by movable joints and can be pushed together or folded for the purpose of transport. They are mostly used as mobile ramps.
Wheelchair ramps on vehicles
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As an add-on component to motor vehicles , rail vehicles and other vehicles, the standard DIN 32985 "Vehicle-based ramps for wheelchair users and other people with reduced mobility - safety requirements and testing" exists for wheelchair ramps in Germany .
On trams and buses of the transport manual ramps, electric folding ramps or ramps are used. In some companies, as with the Munich tram, lifts are also used on the vehicle. Extendable sliding steps reduce the distance to the platform edge on some vehicles.
Hand folding ramps integrated in the vehicle floor in the entrance area are operated by the drivers or passengers and persons accompanying the wheelchair user. To do this, they are lifted and unfolded with a handle or a special hook. Manual folding ramps are less prone to failure, but wheelchair users are dependent on the support of other people. Typical operations are bending and lifting. Swivel ramps are in the upright position at the entrance doors, are unlocked by the driver, turned towards the door and then lowered with levers. The space requirement in the vehicle is greater because of the bracket, stooping is only necessary for some models. Electric ramps are retracted and extended from the driver's seat. Although they are more comfortable, they are also more prone to malfunctions in wet and cold conditions. Folding ramps are stored in a holder and carried to the boarding point by the driver and placed there. The weight of a folding ramp of around 11 kg with a load capacity of 350 kg has to be lifted and carried several times. The advantage of the folding ramp is its flexibility: in the event of an accident, it can also be used on another accessible door of the vehicle and even used on another vehicle.
Built-in electric ramps and accompanying folding ramps are also used on railways. The entry height of many vehicles, especially long-distance traffic, and the platform heights, however, often require the use of lifts on the platform or wheelchair lifts on the vehicle such as the Railjet .
Wheelchair ramps on structures
Permanently integrated in structural mechanisms or attached wheelchair ramps may be made of the same materials as the components or steel - or aluminum - profiled sheet with or without railings .
As a fixed structural facility, the dimensions, attachment and design of ramps for hand-operated and electrically operated wheelchairs in Germany are also based on the requirements of the standards
- DIN 18025 “Barrier-free apartments; Apartments for wheelchair users; Planning basis ",
- DIN 18024 “Barrier-free construction: streets, squares, paths, public traffic and green areas as well as playgrounds; Planning basis ",
- DIN 18035 "Sports fields - Part 1: Outdoor facilities for games and athletics, planning and dimensions".
For example, the DIN standards stipulate a maximum gradient of 6% for wheelchair ramps. A 6-meter-long ramp is required to overcome two steps with a height of 36 cm.
Those insured with statutory health insurance and long-term care insurance in the Federal Republic of Germany are entitled to the provision of technical aids in order to satisfy the basic need to enter and leave their own apartment with wheelchairs and walkers via steps according to SGB V and SGB XI. On the one hand, these can be transportable rigid or telescopic ramps, permanently lying, mobile hang-up ramps as a contribution in kind from the GKV or, on the other hand, wheelchair ramps permanently connected to the building, electric lifting or stair lifts as a PV subsidy.
In most cases, people with statutory health insurance receive these mobility aids from stocks in the resource pools of the health insurance companies as a benefit in kind according to a doctor's prescription and a cost estimate from the medical supply stores as contractual partners of the health insurance companies. For the protection and safety of the user and third parties, these mobility aids must meet the requirements of the Medical Devices Act. This applies in particular to technical safety in accordance with DIN 18025 and the load capacity (patient, wheelchair or electric wheelchair and accompanying person).
Due to an incident, the highest state authority for medical devices for the state of Lower Saxony only uses the DIN 18025 standard (maximum slope of 6%, double-sided drive-over protection at a height of 100 mm and double-sided handrails) for the use of medical devices (in this case wheelchair ramps) as State of the art. This also applies to the re-use of wheelchair ramps from stocks held by the social security agencies.
Violations of this instruction of the authority will be prosecuted as a deliberate administrative offense in the event that they become known to the person placing it on the market, in the event of an incident (significant injury with lasting damage to the state of health or death of the injured party) as an intentional offense in accordance with the criminal provisions of the MPG.
Wheelchair ramps in the Rehadat portal
Rehadat's resource portal lists devices for loading wheelchairs under the following classes of DIN EN ISO 9999 :
- 12 - Aids for personal mobility
- 12 12 - Vehicle adaptations
- 12 12 21 Aids for loading or charging a wheelchair in or onto a motor vehicle
- 12 12 - Vehicle adaptations
- [...]
- 18 - Furniture and aids for adapting apartments and buildings
- 18 30 - Aids for overcoming height differences (e.g. elevators, lifting platforms, ramps)
- 18 30 15 Portable ramps
- 18 30 - Aids for overcoming height differences (e.g. elevators, lifting platforms, ramps)
