An alternative system to improve accessibility for wheelchair users: The stepped ramp

Ramps are one of the main solutions for people with motor disabilities to overcome small disparities in height, both across cities and inside buildings. To permit the autonomous use of ramps, they must satisfy specific requisites. In particular, the slopes must not be excessively steep but adhere to the values identified in regulations and validated by scientific research. In historic cities, however, the placement of ramps is often complicated by a lack of space required for their length. In Venice, in particular, its urban morphology often makes it impossible to conform to the required slopes. For this reason, a specific ramp, known as “stepped ramp”, has been designed by technicians of the City of Venice with a steeper slope than allowed by regulations. It offers many possibilities but even some key problems. This paper presents a scientific analysis of ten different ramps to evaluate the structures that directly influence the feeling of comfort or discomfort of a wheelchair user with assistance, as well as the coefficients of friction of the different flooring surfaces. This study aims to understand objectively if this solution is efficient to improve accessibility in some specific circumstances, where it is not possible to follow the regulations using flat ramps.