As the educational community works together to provide the best opportunities for children in the United States, it’s important to keep accessibility a primary topic of the conversation.
Children, teens, and young adults of all abilities deserve safe and easy access throughout their school and university campuses. That’s why we’ve come up with a few ways that schools can utilize a commercial-grade aluminum ramp for safe access on school grounds.
![TITANâ„¢ ramp system leading into a portable classroom](https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/659416bbc5518f25c9aa160d/659416bbc5518f25c9aa1eb9_school-ramps-1.jpg)
Portable Classrooms
As school districts grow, portable classrooms are often used during that in-between stage of a building expansion. These classrooms almost always have an elevated entry which requires a small set of stairs or a ramp in order to reach the doorway. If a ramp is not in place, there is not a safe, ADA-compliant way for students and faculty to enter the classroom. An all-aluminum, maintenance-free ramp from EZ-ACCESS is an easy way to eliminate this issue. The PATHWAY® HD Code Compliant Modular Access System is a great solution that offers ease of access for individuals of all abilities.
![TITANâ„¢ ramp leading up to the front entrance of a school building](https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/659416bbc5518f25c9aa160d/659416bbc5518f25c9aa1eba_school-ramps-2.jpg)
Building Entrances
We often see properties that were built before the Americans of Disabilities Act was passed in 1990 without accessible entrances. While a long set of stairs leading up to the entrance may look sharp, there still needs to be a ramp in place to allow students with mobility challenges a safe way to get in and out of the building. The ADA does not specifically require the main entrance of a building to be wheelchair accessible, but it does require a public building to have at least one accessible entrance that is reasonably accommodating. That means every single building on a university campus must have at least one accessible entrance. An aluminum ramp is typically the easiest to install to ensure ADA compliance because it will come pre-assembled and can be installed in a matter of hours.
![SUITCASE® Singlefold Ramp on playground system](https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/659416bbc5518f25c9aa160d/659416bbc5518f25c9aa1ebb_school-ramps-3.jpg)
Playgrounds
Every child deserves the opportunity to play as freely as they wish at recess. It’s good for kids to take a break during the day and get some fresh air, but are the playgrounds at your school as accessible as they should be? A series of ramps that access different levels of the playground is a great way to include children with mobility equipment.
Many playgrounds also have a wood chip area so students have a place to play that isn’t the unforgiving concrete. Make sure that there is either a ramp over the wood chips for students with wheelchairs or a flat path through the play area so everyone can join in on the fun.