Um, no, it’s not a mine shaft. It’s 2 feet.
Maybe they didn’t care about how high the first floor was because of the existence of ramps.
Maybe I missed something but there wasn’t a ramp built with the house. The whole thing was an afterthought. Could be wrong. Seems a better idea to build the house to spec instead of fixing it after the fact.
Wow. That has got to be one of the dumbest systems I’ve ever heard of. It sounds like a fire hazard waiting to happen as well, not to mention potential injury for the security guards.
My comments have strayed from being specifically about this ramp to being about whether or not it’s anyone’s “business” what a neighboring property looks like.
I don’t have any problem with this particular ramp, though the style is not exactly in sync with residential design. It is something you might see at a library, but homes aren’t styled like libraries, so it stands out. The homeowners are planting in front of the ramp to soften the concrete block feel, which will make it blend in better.
The only other reasonable choice for a ramp is a wooden design, which would have a more residential feel, but require maintenance to keep it from falling into disrepair. A wood design would still be highly visible, it’s not entirely clear to me that it is a more aesthetically pleasing choice, especially after the planting beds have had time to mature.
Yeah, I was expecting a shitty piece of wood haphazardly laid over some steps or something. It looks fine. Sure, maybe a bit are-you-sure-this-isn’t-a-public-school utilitarian with the railing, but not bad enough to complain about unless you were the one buying the house.
Wow, it’s unfortunate that they didn’t have a real estate and accessibility expert like you to consult when they made decisions about their own house.
And wheelchair users can easily hop down two feet, of course.
Oh really, so next time my power goes out and I can’t use my lift, I can call you to help lift my teenage son up and down the stairs?
Yes, of course! Why didn’t I think of that!
We should have HAD A BRAND NEW HOUSE BUILT.
How silly and un-forward thinking of us to not have a vast store of cash with which to hire an architect and bulid a house that is exactly what we will need years down the line!
Any other helpful advice for families of disabled people? I am thinking
- Forget about unsightly lifts and ramps- just have the butler do the lifting.
- Save on trips out by installing a home bowling ally and movie theater. You won’t need to go back in if you don’t have to go out!
- In a pinch, you can use a pony to get up a difficult stairway. Make sure to build the stables near the front door.
Yeah, I remember when Ambivalid posted that story once before. I ran into much the same situation 2ish years ago when I had a broken foot and was alternating between a cane and a knee scooter. We were in the Cheers restaurant at Faneuil Hall in Boston. The bathroom was downstairs. A confused-looking employee said something to the effect of “um, I think there’s one a few doors down” (i.e. outside the restaurant, in another part of the shopping area).
I managed the stairs. Ambivalid (or anyone else) could not have.
This.
I like the pony idea, but of course she’d need a lift to get on the pony. Since it’s not safe to be on horseback inside the stable, the lift would need to be outside. Only problem is, if she went anywhere there’s no guarantee there’d be a pony-to-ground lift there. I recommend a cart instead, which can have its own ramp. Like this Add some wheelchair tie-downs and she’s good to go! :).
Or even better, just hook the chair itself up to the pony. No ramp problems at all then, just rig up a quick-release hitch!
That was indeed the situation. It was a new housing development.
The lift I linked to was designed as stated. So if you own one of these then yes, you can operate it if the power fails just like any other device designed with power backup.
If you don’t have such a lift then you can, I don’t know, use a generator? Are you really going to tell me it’s necessary or safer to drag someone up a ramp in the winter?
No, the disabled person is rolled up in a wheelchair. Why would they take her outa the chair and drag her up?
Easily would depend on the person. Do you walk everywhere because your car might break down in a bad area at night stranding you?
The child in this instance is assisted by her parents. The benefits of a lift outweigh a ramp on a daily basis and the outdoor units are designed with power backup.
Why would the person be rolled up in a wheelchair. Shouldn’t they be sitting in it?
Plenty of parents would have trouble getting a teenager and her wheelchair up/down a couple of feet. I’ve done a lot of pushing, pulling, and lifting of people and their wheelchairs. I would have a ramp on my house over a lift. I have had one, in fact.
If my car breaks down, I can still walk. If a wheelchair lift stops working, there’s no easy way to get the wheelchair user in and out of the house.