ARMOR TILE

TACTILE SYSTEMS

Curb Ramp Americans with Disabilities Act

Have you ever considered how an elderly individual would ever be able to lift a walker over a curb to access a sidewalk at a designated crosswalk? Utilizing a wheelchair or walker is the “only” way some members of our society can access our community.

The fundamental goal of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is to provide access to civic life for all Americans with disabilities. Curb ramps are only one aspect of access routes. They must conform to specific slopes and dimensional features such as width and length within the ramp and approach or landing. Detectable warnings are also specified on curb ramps because they provide a warning of a hazard in the path of travel. This warning is a navigational tool for the visual community.

A safe path of travel is a concern for Americans and is a responsibility to State, City, County officials and facility managers. To better understand common problems and solutions regarding curb ramps and the Americans with Disabilities Act please visit www.ada.gov/comprob.htm the contents may be of assistance to you.

Curb ramps must be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act for the life of the structure and not just when the project is completed. Detectable Warning products that have a long life span will increase safety, decrease expenses on replacement and / or maintenance of curb ramps ensuring curb ramps comply with The Americans with Disabilities Act for a considerable duration. Factors to consider are the wear resistance to foot traffic (which is harsh), also UV resistance also expansion, compression, tensile and flexural strengths are relative to breaking, pealing or becoming brittle when exposed to environmental conditions.

When renovating “ADA ramps” it is also a standard to utilize detectable warnings (see article “truncated domes” on website www.armor-tile.com).

By Ron O’Neill
Engineered Plastics Inc.

ENGINEERED PLASTICS INC.
300 International Dr., Suite 100, Williamsville, NY  14221   Tel: 1-800-682-2525    Fax: 1-800-769-4463
www.armor-tile.com

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