Wheelchair ramp advice — Scope | Disability forum
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Wheelchair ramp advice

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PippaT1966
PippaT1966 Community member Posts: 40 Connected
edited January 2021 in Aids, adaptations, and equipment
Our daughter has just got her first power chair, having previously had a folding chair which we would lift over the door and set up for her outside.
We have a uPVC porch which has a lip both inside and outside the door, so we needed a ramp that does both angles. We've got a bridging ramp, but of course you have to put it down and then remove it to shut the door. She can step out of the chair (she has ME so can walk a bit, just not past the end of our drive) but she can't lift a portable ramp herself, so ideally we'd like a ramp which means she can use it when we're not at home, either something we could put in the porch with the door shut before we go to work, or something permanent. 

Can anyone advise where to find something? Everything online is a temporary ramp as far as I can see, or heavy so she couldn't put it in place herself. Or do we remove the uPVC porch and put something else in? 
Thanks!
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  • forgoodnesssake
    forgoodnesssake Community member Posts: 502 Pioneering
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    We had a similar issue for years and eventually, as part of a bigger DFG project, we changed the doors for one wider, sill-less one and now it's fine!
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  • PippaT1966
    PippaT1966 Community member Posts: 40 Connected
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    Thanks! My husband isn't keen but ultimately if it means we could get a ramp down the front which we could leave out and shut the door behind us, that would be great. Was it a bit job?
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  • pollyanna1052
    pollyanna1052 Community member Posts: 2,032 Disability Gamechanger
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    Hi, my access is out through our conservatory and hubby had to modify the door sill to make it flat. It works well and I go out onto a ramped deck. Regular upvc doors do have a high sill. It would be a job social services could do, as an OT would probably deem it essential.
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  • PippaT1966
    PippaT1966 Community member Posts: 40 Connected
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    Ah, OK. I hadn't thought about social services or the council doing it. 
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  • forgoodnesssake
    forgoodnesssake Community member Posts: 502 Pioneering
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    Our door is not a UPVC, cos as poster above says, they all have sills or tend to.  Ours is what I think they call composite, and instead of a sill there is a small drain thing right across the front of it (in the ground) and there is also a bit of a **** (not sure of technical term) to stop any ingress of rain or water.  the front of our house gets much of the wind/rain but in more than 9 years we have had no issue with water (or drafts) at all.  Our whole front garden/drive area was changed to make a gradual slope up to to the door.  It's not huge but the level change needed wasn't that much.
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  • April2018mom
    April2018mom Posts: 2,882 Disability Gamechanger
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    Hello. My young son is a full time wheelchair user due to lower body paralysis caused by his primary disability, open defect spina bifida and we had to have a wheelchair ramp fitted to our car so that he could independently and safely wheel himself up to the floor on which we live from our car. He has a manual chair as he has a good level of upper body function and control however. Feel free to message me if you have more questions. 

    This is something that a occupational therapist can advise on. Call or email your local social services team first thing tomorrow to ask them
    questions and to get the ball rolling. Best of wishes! You will also need to apply to the local council for planning permission. But the first step of the process is a assessment by a occupational therapist. The council will need to do a complete wheelchair ramp risk assessment first on your property.
     
    You can find more information on the process on this site as well https://aspiregb.com/wheelchair-ramp-safe-setup/. Good luck to you. 


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  • Curt
    Curt Community member Posts: 8 Listener
    edited January 2021
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    Heres some links to ramp companies, encase. I hope they can be of use.

    https://www.rapidramp.co.uk/products
    https://www.theramppeople.co.uk/


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  • PippaT1966
    PippaT1966 Community member Posts: 40 Connected
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    Thanks! We went for having the entire front of the porch removed, and a low threshold UPVC door put in, with a small rubber ramp at the front. It works perfectly!

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  • Ross_Alumni
    Ross_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,652 Disability Gamechanger
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    Glad those things are working so well for you @PippaT1966 :) 
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  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 43 Courageous
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  • Ross_Alumni
    Ross_Alumni Scope alumni Posts: 7,652 Disability Gamechanger
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    Hi @Shezz

    I have made your comment into it's own discussion, you can find it here.
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    [Deleted User] Posts: 43 Courageous
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  • Wheelchair_Guy
    Wheelchair_Guy Community member Posts: 1 Listener
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    Hi, I found this site's wheelchair ramp slope calculator very useful.  https://expressramps.com/ramp-wizard  It is based in the states, but it can give you some handy guidance for what is appropriate for use at various heights.  Hope that helps!
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