History of Wheelchair Ramps

People with certain physical disabilities continue their lives by using a wheelchair. Well, is it enough for physically disabled people to have a wheelchair to sustain their lives? We all know that just having a wheelchair is not enough for people who have to live with a wheelchair to lead a quality life. There are many things these people need to lead a quality life. In this article, we will talk about one of them, the wheelchair ramp and its history.

Wheelchair ramps are very important in terms of accessibility. For example, if there are no wheelchair ramps next to the stairs used to enter a shopping mall or movie theater, or theater, those places are not accessible for these people. It is not possible for people using wheelchairs to benefit from such places.

Let’s briefly touch on the history of wheelchair ramps. Although there is no definite information on this subject, it is thought that the ramps similar to the wheelchair ramps used today were used in the construction of the Egyptian Pyramids. In addition, it is rumored that the Ancient Greeks used ramps to pass the ships over the land. It has been determined from the researches that wheelchair ramps were used in China in 525 BC. In the early 1900s, a ramp was used at Grand Central Station in New York City, but this ramp was mostly used to carry passengers’ luggage. After the end of the Second World War, people began to understand the importance of accessibility ramps. In these years, the need for wheelchair ramps increased as many veterans were confined to using wheelchairs. In the mid-1900s, people began to argue that public spaces should be more accessible. Finally, in the late 1900s, the Americans with Disabilities Act came into effect and wheelchair ramps became common.

See you in our next article in the hope that those who are confined to a wheelchair due to a physical disability can enter anywhere they want with wheelchair ramps.