Taking a road trip with a friend or
relative who is confined to a wheelchair can be a wonderful time for
fun, laughter and bonding. The destinations you choose to visit may
be limited, though, if you rely on the presence of a built-in
wheelchair ramp or curbs that have been designed for handicap access.
Businesses that allow public access are required by law to provide
access for those with disabilities, so you'll probably be fine going
to a restaurant, a state park or a stadium in the next town. If you
and your wheelchair-bound fellow traveler want to visit old friends
at their home, or if you want to go off the beaten track, you are
likely to bump into difficulty.
Temporary wheelchair ramps will
overcome this problem and open whole new horizons for your traveling
expeditions. Typically made of lightweight aluminum, the portable
wheelchair ramps are designed to fold up small enough to fit in the
back of a car. Unfolded and locked into place, the ramp provides a
sturdy base to roll the wheelchair up over a curb or a short flight
of stairs, such as those at an old buddy's front porch.
The next time you and your friend have
free time, load a fold-up ramp and a cooler full of snacks and sodas
into the car. Head out to an old historic site, a riverside pathway
or another site that you avoided in the past. Unfolding the ramp so
that the wheelchair rolls over obstacles will give your friend a new
sense of freedom... and you get to have welcome companionship at a
location you never would have been able to enjoy together before.