Ramp Adaptations

Rampscapes are ramps made by grading dirt to make that gradual incline to the door threshold. It usually involves the redesign and regrading of the path between street/garden and the front/rear/side home entrance to enable a continuous walkway (path) with an incline of 1:20. Properly designed rampscaping may not require handrails, can incorporate replanting and be designed to fit in with the façade of the home and reduce garden maintenance.

Rampscaping has not been widely used in the UK home adaptations sector. This page provides an overview of the benefits of landscape modification and provides tips on designing best practice rampscaping.

Is rampscaping more costly than other access options?

There is little research investigating the cost comparison between rampscaping, traditional ramps and lifts. In general, the steeper the land around the home the more complex and expensive rampscaping would be. On flatter sites grading a tonne of topsoil is likely to cost much less than edging kerbs and handrails.

Rampscaping in practice

For a walkway to be considered accessible, the gradient (slope) must not be steeper than 1:20. A gradient steeper than 1:20 would be considered a ramp and require all associated ramped requirements such as handrails and kerbs.

Crossfall is the slope across a width of a pathway. Some crossfall is required for drainage purposes but too much will make navigating an incline difficult. Crossfall across a pathway should be no steeper than 1:40.

Rest platforms (landings) should be provided along an accessible route between street and front door. The number and size of landings will depend upon the length and design of a walkway.

The surface finish of a walkway is important and must be stable and non-slip with no stepping. This is important where concrete sections join on a pathway, and also in the correct laying of bricks and pavers. Abutting surfaces should have a maximum of 3mm height difference.

Thresholds and entrances require a level platform area to allow for rest, manoeuvrability for turning, accessing keys, placing bags and opening doors.

As a best practice in accessible design, a front entrance or front threshold will benefit from weather protection as well as enough level space to allow for manoeuvring or storage of a mobility aid.

Additional considerations

Planting of the front garden

An accessible landscape can be low maintenance, requiring minimum care to maintain plant growth and weed management, that will not easily grow or creep onto walkways becoming an obstruction or hazard.

Modifying a front or back garden is an opportunity to improve plant types, replacing any toxic plants or weeds with low maintenance alternatives.

Inclusive garden design elements

Modifying the front garden landscape of a home gives the opportunity to improve levels of participation in the garden. This can be achieved through the incorporation of a number of design elements aimed at enabling an outdoor garden experience for all and might include:

• Raised and vertical gardens – providing gardening and horticultural access for those in a wheelchair if unable to kneel to floor level.
• Considered selection of sensory plants for the visually impaired.

General garden and utilities access

Consideration should be given to accessibility for lawnmowers and wheelie bins.

Lighting

Poor illumination of a walkway will contribute to the likelihood of falls. Lighting that defines the pathway edges and reduces glare will improve safety and negotiability.

Conclusion

There is an untapped potential for rampscaping to provide accessible home entrances within the provision of home adaptations.

Rampscaping has the potential to provide an accessible solution that:

• is fully accessible for people who use a wheelchair or mobility aid;
• can be designed to cater specifically for visually impaired people;
• is sensitive to the existing architecture of the home;
• maintains a garden aesthetic; and
• provides opportunities for improving a garden’s design and reducing ongoing maintenance.

In addition to these benefits, a rampscaping approach has none of the negative side effects of a ramp or lift installation, such as increasing vulnerability and being an eye-sore in the front garden. This further highlights potential for a landscape solution to be considered as an option when home adaptations are being carried out.

For all references and further information on rampscaping, please refer to the original published paper titled “Landscape modification as an alternative to ramps and lifts in the home” from the Australian Home Modification Clearinghouse website www.homemods.info.

Before starting to design a ramp it is vital to know the difference in levels between the start point and floor level of the house. If you don’t have professional surveying equipment, the next best thing is a spirit level with a laser on a tripod, which you can get for about £25.

Set-up the tripod where you want the ramp to start and make sure it is level. Point the laser at the door where the ramp will end. You will need to measure:

• A: The height of the level above the existing ground
• B: The height of the laser light above the floor level at the doorway
• C: The horizontal distance between the level and the doorway.

Try to measure C as close to horizontally as you can – measuring the length of a sloping path can give a different measurement – especially on a steep slope.

The difference in levels is A-B.

The existing gradient is 1 in (A-B)/C

Use this handy calculator to work out the difference in levels and existing gradient: