Ramps - Erindale Pond

Continuing the series on ramps, we will take a look at one of the urban ramps I have encountered multiple times. The one pictured above leads up from the Erindale pond in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The path around the pond is quality asphalt, reasonably level with only a few instances of lips where the building materials transition between concrete, paving stones or asphalt. The tricky part comes when you need to climb up from the shoreline to get back to your vehicle or where you came from.

Often a photo does not accurately represent the grade of a ramp and I fear that this photo is one of those, despite my best efforts. This ramp is reasonably steep for an urban setting but it is very long and without any level portions where a rest might be appropriate. Other techniques, such as allowing a wheel to back into the landscape tie at the side of the ramp, can work when a rest is needed, however, often there are no options like this and the only alternative is to turn your wheelchair sideways to lessen the effort needed to prevent rolling back down the ramp. The biggest problem with this sideways parking technique is the energy it takes to get straightened out and resume climbing.

I mention that this ramp is a reasonable grade for an urban setting. Far too often when new strip malls or other buildings have their parking lots paved the grade of the slope leading to either a concrete curb cut or the ramp leading into the building is ridiculously steep. For whatever reason, our home builder told us that they legally could not build my ramp in the garage because it would be a grade of 1:10, 1:12 being legal for a public building. This was our own private dwelling. The number of parking lots I see with ridiculously steep slopes before you actually reach the curb cut, sidewalk, or ramp to the building's front door are ridiculous. Situations like this display thoughtless guideline compliance without any common sense.

Thankfully, regardless of a slope's grade, devices such as hill climber brakes exist and can be used to grab your wheels so you cannot roll backwards. Those will be examined in the future.

We are thankful that these ramps exist, as opposed to simply being stairs, but improper implementation makes them less effective in building a barrier free community.

Source: Urban settings and do not be afraid to contact your city counselor if there are blatant problems with a local ramp, be it the condition of the building materials, the grade or transitions from level ground to the ramp or the ramp to the surface at the top.

Ramps - Our Deck

The time has come to begin my series on elevated access. By that I mean ramps and lifts that enable us to access those places not on ground level. I say that the time has come because until now I have focused on subjects whose consequences have the greatest impact upon quadriplegics. Ramps and lifts affect such a broad range of disabilities it would be difficult to list them all.

This ramp is the one in our backyard that allows me access down to our patio, flower boxes and lawn. Our deck supports are made of treated lumber but the surface materials are made from Trex composite material that does not require staining or care of any kind. That, combined with the aluminum railings, was undoubtedly more costly initially but over the life of the deck the savings in stain and labor to maintain it will easily pay for the additional cost. At some point I will discuss the invisible costs of living with a disability. Paying for labor to do something as simple as stain a deck is one example of those less visible costs.

Though it does not look very steep because of my choice of ultra-wide-angle lens, the ramp is the building code standard of 1:12, which I find a very easy climb, unless my push rims happen to be wet from watering flowers or chasing the dog with the hose. Times like those I am grateful for my hill-climbers which, when engaged, prevent me from rolling backwards. On occasion the flat landing halfway up the ramp has been a great benefit to either have a different view of our backyard or to be a place to turn around and chase the dog back down.

One final note for anyone looking to build or modify a home to be barrier free: Be aware of your space limitations on each side of the house. On one side we have crushed rock, which I cannot access nor cross. On the other side, by the patio as pictured above, is a sidewalk that leads to her front gate with the inconvenient exception that the air conditioner blocks my path. Had we known, or had our home builder being more mindful of the situation, we would have either relocated the air conditioner or had it installed higher up so that getting past my wheelchair, or with the lawnmower, would be possible.

Source: Custom-built by our home builder to suit the size we wanted and the space available.

Spray Bottle

When most people hear paralyzed or quadriplegic they immediately think of the lost ability to walk, to the point that the narrow sightedness of its portrayal in media is saddening. Phrases such as "wheelchair-bound" or "confined to a wheelchair, just dreaming of the day they can walk again" are very frustrating to someone living with a disability where walking is but a very minor portion of the inconvenience of said disability. Not to mention that most of us do not sit around doing nothing but dreaming of when we can walk again and "resume" our lives. But, I digress.

What the media and educators fail to mention are the things more important to well being, like the inability to sweat when overheated. The increased sensitivity to temperature changes and decreased ability to regulate our own body temperature makes we quadriplegics more susceptible to temperature related discomfort and ailments.

Clothing can be added in cold temperatures to help stay warm but once we get overheated, even in shade, it can be difficult to cool back down. It's not the same as heat being removed from your body the way sweat brings it to the surface but a spray bottle or a wetted cloth or shirt can help to alleviate the overheating from a warm summer day or vigorous exercise.

With our current patio set I am unable to raise and lower the umbrella and, most of the time, that is fine with me because I typically like full sunshine. But there are the times when I appreciate having my spray bottle to allow me to stay outside longer and enjoy as much of the short Saskatchewan summers as I can.

Source: Any department store or dollar store.