Since the idea began in 1991, modular residential ramps have been serving numerous low-income individuals in Minnesota and the idea is catching on around the country. Hennepin County, Minnesota; Milwaukee County, Wisconsin; and King County, Washington have discovered the use of these ramps, and are serving countless low and moderate-income individuals.
The idea was developed in 1991 by an independent living counselor, Bob Zimmerman, with the Minnesota Division of Rehabilitation Services in St. Paul. He discovered that there were many obstacles involved with constructing ramps. Contractors and materials were expensive and many people only needed ramps temporarily. Additionally, residential ramps in Minnesota require frost footings that restrict construction to warm-weather months. Another option for Minnesotans, let alone any other area, needed to be found.
Mr. Zimmerman soon discovered an easier and less expensive way to meet the needs of his clients. He worked in conjunction with the Metropolitan Center for Independent Living (MCIL), the Multiple Sclerosis Society and the United Handicapped Federation to develop and design a modular residential ramp.
The ramps are portable, reusable, and can be installed throughout the year. Using pressure treated wood, these ramps can be fabricated in a garage or other facility and then easily assembled on site. The design is flexible and works well with long term or short-term use.
More than 950 of these ramps have been built in Minnesota alone through the program that Mr. Zimmerman and the Metropolitan Center for Independent Living called The Ramp Project. This design has also led others to adopt a similar program to The Ramp Project in their own community.
Hennepin County was one of the first local governments to work with The Ramp Project in Minnesota. The county wanted to have a provider for the construction, installation, and recycling of the modular ramps. The contacted the Twin Cities Tree Trust (Tree Trust), a nonprofit corporation which provides youth and adult employment training, to assist with the implementation of this project.
Tree Trust needed $25,000 in start up funds to begin the project. Hennepin County gave $17,500 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds, the Metropolitan Center for Independent Living provided $2,500, and the Minnesota Division of Rehabilitation Services provided $2,500.
Hennepin County's Training and Employment staff work with the Tree Trust to secure appropriate work crews. The ramp modules are constructed in a warehouse and assembled on site. The program also allows homeowners to recycle the ramps once they no longer need them.
Tree Trust charges the costs of the materials and administrative fee to local programs authorizing the purchase of the ramps. The charges for the administrative fees go toward the long-term funding of the program. Cost per ramp: $1,500.
City and County funding have been able to fund the Milwaukee Christian Center's Handicap Accessibility Program for the last several years.
The program has been funded through the city of Milwaukee since the Summer of 1997, with an annual amount of $106,000. This funding will at least continue through the year 2000. Additionally, the program also receives funding from Milwaukee County with an annual amount of $20,000.
To date the Christian Center's program has constructed over fifty modular ramps and two modular platform stair and porch structures, using the Minnesota design.
They have found the Minnesota design to be extremely functional for most Milwaukee homes that the center services. One particular historical site, they were able to combine the contemporary design of the modular ramp with the newly built porch that was historical in nature. The two complimented each other very well.
This design has also had an impact on changes in their local ordinances concerning ramp construction. Recently new provisions in the ordinance have made it easier to obtain construction permits for ramps, which was once a long and arduous process.
King County, Washington is funding a demonstration project called the King County Handicapped Access Modification (H.A.M.) Program. Providing modular ramps is just one of the activities King County will be doing in this program. They will also do bathroom modifications, door widening, grab-bars, and handrails.
King County Housing Repair Program is providing intake and tracking services, paying for cost of materials and funding part of the journeyman carpenter. They are also collaborating with the following agencies to administer the HAM program:
King County is funding the program using two kinds of resources. CDBG will be used for the material costs. Youthbuild, another HUD funded program, will be used to provide funds for labor and training of at-risk youths in the skills of handicap accessibility modifications.
Estimated cost per ramp is unknown at this time, but because of the ability to recycle ramps, the overall cost will be substantially less.
Thanks to Bob Zimmerman, Minnesota Division of Rehabilitation Services, and The Metropolitan Center for Independent Living, the development of modular ramps has had tremendous success in Minnesota and is spreading around the country.
According to Kevin Chan, Housing Repair Coordinator, "Their success story and national recognition has paved the way for the rest of us."
County Contacts: Carol Stinar, Hennepin County, Office of Planning and Development (612)541-7085. James Perencevic at the Milwaukee Christian Center (414) 643-7704. Alan Rank at Milwaukee County, Housing and Community Development, (414)278-4877. Kevin Chan, King County, Housing and Community Development, (206)296-8652.
The Ramp Project, The Metropolitan Center for Independent Living, 1600 University Avenue, Suite 16, St. Paul, MN, 55104-3825 or call (651)646-8342. Check out the on-line web site for the project: www.klownwerkz.com/ramp/. This site provides photographs of the ramps and other technical information, including the manual on "How to Build Wheelchair Ramps for Homes".
Reproduced with the kind permission of: NACCED Insights, March/April 1999,
a publication of
the National Association for County Community and Economic Development.
1200 19th St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036-2422.
Phone: (202) 429-5118
Web: www.nacced.org