• Ramps are essential for people who have difficulty with stairs.handicap image by silonos from Fotolia.com
  
  The ADA, or Americans with Disabilities Act, was signed into law in 1990. One of its main goals was to make public places more accessible to people with disabilities. To accomplish this, the ADA set out specifications for new construction. These specifications assure that people with disabilities can access public buildings and facilities. This means that new buildings feature ramps, elevators and handicap-accessible restrooms and other areas.
  
  

Ramps

• The ADA standards define a ramp as any part of an accessible route with a slope of more than 1:20. These do not include curb ramps, which fall under a separate set of standards. Ramps are accessible to people using wheelchairs or mobility scooters who are unable to navigate a flight of stairs. The minimum acceptable width of a ramp is 36 inches.
  
  

Slope

• The ADA states that the builder must use the least possible slope for any given surface. The maximum slope for a ramp is 1:12 and the maximum rise for any ramp is 30 inches. Any ramp steeper than 1:12 can be difficult to navigate with a wheelchair or walker. Ramps on existing buildings can have a steeper slope if necessary but any slope steeper than 1:8 is prohibited.
  
  

Handrails

• According to the ADA, any ramp with a rise higher than six inches or a length more than 72 inches must have a handrail on each side. Handrails must be between 34 and 38 inches taller than the ramp surface and be at least 1 ½ inches from a wall.
  
  

Edges

• Regardless of their slopes, ramps that have drop-offs or edges must have something to keep people from going off of the edge. This can be a handrail, a curb or a wall that marks the edge of the ramp.
  
  

Landings

• Any ramp, regardless of its slope, has to have a clear, flat landing at the top and bottom. Each landing must be at least 60 inches long and at least as wide as the ramp. A landing that turns at the top or bottom of a ramp has to have a landing size that is at least 60 inches square. This gives people using wheelchairs or scooters sufficient space to change direction.