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Suite 100, Hanover, MD 21076

(443) 445-3518

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Accessibility Ramp Safety in Wintertime

The Freedom Mobility

Difference

I can't thank Kelly and her staff enough for how helpful and caring they have been during my mother's recovery. It is obvious that they have the client's best interests in mind. I highly recommend this company!
- Jill Layton Alperstein
Customer

When the weather outside is frightful, it means the accessibility ramps are perilous to match. Ramps are necessary for people with limited mobility to get essentially anywhere at all. That’s why it’s so important to ensure you’re practicing safe accessibility ramp care during the winter. Because of the ramp’s incline, it creates a new and difficult challenge. Read on for a few winter accessibility ramp safety tips. Accessibility Ramp Safety in Wintertime

Make the Surface Rough

Before it ices or snows, you can adjust a ramp to ensure it has plenty of traction on its own. You can go to the hardware store and purchase gritty paint used for this purpose, or strips of sandpaper that provide move traction. This should ensure that, should there be a barely noticeable frost, no one will slip or fall. During an ice or snowstorm, you can use several gritty materials to help gather traction underneath your wheels. Kitty litter, sand, and gravel are all cheap and useful materials that can be scattered across a slippery accessibility ramp. In a pinch, having a small backup of one of these on your person at all times can be a real time-saver.  You could also keep a stack of roof tiles with you. These can easily be placed, removed, and reused–although, you might look a bit silly carrying around all those shingles.

Melt the Ice

The other option is to, of course, melt the ice on the accessibility ramp. There are plenty of chemicals that you can buy at a hardware store, or any multipurpose store during the winter. Chemicals work in extremely cold temperatures, whereas simple salt does not. Salt only actually melts ice when the temperature is 15 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Not to mention, salt can actually damage accessibility ramps with long-term use, eroding at the material. Some ice melting chemicals could leave a kind of residue on metal surfaces, although this can be washed away quickly.

Don’t Be Afraid to Ask

If you’re unsure whether or not there’s going to be safe access at any location you’re about to visit, call ahead of time and ask whether or not their ramps are accessible and cleared. It’s possible that they haven’t gotten around to clearing a path, yet, and will be spurred into action by your call. In public areas, this can also help others who have limited mobility throughout the day.

More Questions?

Here at Freedom Mobility, we’re focused on providing customers with functional, safe, and long-lasting equipment. We provide Maryland ramp installation services, and we keep you, the customer, at the top of our list. If you’re interested in installing a more wheelchair-friendly ramp this winter, call Freedom Mobility today. We can answer all of your questions regarding ramp safety, and how you can prepare those ramps for the winter. We look forward to hearing from you!