Are they just not practical? They seems cheaper to build instead of elevators for wheelchair bound people.
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The space you need to span a ramp that is suitable for wheelchair access is actually pretty substantial. Here in the UK, building regulations cover the minimum requirements needed for new buildings and these are mostly non-negotiable and relate to the actual function and performance of the building rather than the aesthetics — things like fire resistance, structural standards, access provisions etc.
Ramped approaches have a maximum gradient you can have the slope at. For wheelchair access to domestic houses, this is 1:12 — so every 12 metres you will rise up by 1 metre… so already you’re into long lengths.
But… that’s not all… there’s maximum lengths you can make a ramp… if you need to go higher then you need to allow for a flat landing, which have to be fairly decently sized because it’s meant for wheelchair traffic unlike with stairs.
And **then**… just when you think it would be easy to just have a ramp-case like we can have stair cases… you still have to provide sufficient head height for the ramp… which has to be a minimum of 2 metres above the ramp surface just like with stairs… but stairs are more compact.
Elevators/lifts aren’t necessarily more practical… they’re quite simply the only feasible option to allow disabled access between floor levels that have all but the most negligible difference in heights. Ramps are good for small height increases — say the small step up from your driveway to your main door or patio area… but anything else they quickly go from impractical to unsuitable.
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