Posted by Mark Rafferty on Sat, Jul 10, 2010 @ 04:38 PM
Amramp Partners with Helping Hands
On the morning of June 19th, Helping Hands, a partnering volunteer install group through the First Church of the Nazarene in Huntington completed a wheelchair ramp for Pathfinder Amramp. Ryan Burns, Edward Doake, Donald Garde, and Philip Graves from Helping Hands volunteered their time to install the wheelchair ramp at the Roush household in Huntington.
Thanks to the wheelchair ramp designed by our Amramp Experts, and installed by Helping Hands, 3 year old Robert Martin, who suffers from the most severe form of Spinal Muscular Atrophy, is able to leave his home in a reclining wheelchair. His mother, Debra Roush can now safely assist Robert down the wheelchair ramp instead of having to navigate steps in their home. Pathfinder Amramp has changed their lives and gives them the opportunity to do something many of us do without thinking, leaving home safely and conveniently.
“Helping Hands has been great to work with! Through the assistance of Helping Hands we were able to provide a wheelchair ramp to the Roush family of Huntington,” stated Kay Smith, Operations and Sales Coordinator for Pathfinder Services. “Through the community partnership of the donation of time and manpower from Helping Hands and the generous donation of funds from the Pathfinder Foundation, the Roush family was able to have their wheelchair ramp moved from their previous residence to their current home,” Smith concluded. “This would not have been an option with a wooden wheelchair ramp. Accessibility is critical for this family and the modular wheelchair ramp system that we offer with Amramp proved to be a valuable use of resources,” Smith replied. A year ago, the wheelchair ramp was installed at a previous address and with great ease it was able to be reconfigured and reinstalled in a matter of hours for the family.”
Amramp allows for families and businesses to rent or buy ADA compliant low cost, modular wheelchair ramps with a special grip ramp surface. The wheelchair ramps are made of durable, non-skid mesh steel. The wheelchair ramp grips tires and is safer than wood, the grated surface allows the weather to pass through. Pathfinder’s Social Mission Closet allows for wheelchair ramps to be provided for free through community donations and a generous donation from the Pathfinder Foundation.
Amramp offers free home evaluations and meets with each client to custom design a wheelchair ramp. All of the wheelchair ramps are installed by trained Amramp specialists. Wheelchair Ramps are available in days not weeks or months and most installations take less than a day.
Amramp is the newest division of Pathfinder Services, Inc. specializing in portable wheelchair ramp systems providing solutions for clients in North Eastern Indiana. To make a donation to our much needed community social mission wheelchair ramp closet or for more information on Amramp please call Loretta Mottram at (888) 715-7598 or e-mail her at Loretta.mottram@amramp.com.
For more information about Pathfinder Services, Inc. please visit www.pathfinderservices.org. Pathfinder Services, Inc. is a comprehensive human and community development not-for-profit human services organization based in Huntington, where it was founded in 1966. In addition to Huntington County, Pathfinder Services also provides services in Adams, Allen, Dekalb, Grant, LaGrange, Marshall, Noble, Starke, Steuben, Wabash, Wells, and Whitley Counties.
Amramp, offers a fast, easy and safe wheelchair ramp solution to improve people's lives. Amramp is a national organization with local, factory-trained professionals and with local inventory throughout the country. To learn more about Amramp's modular steel wheelchair ramp system, please fill out the form to the left or call us toll-free at 888-715-7598
Posted by Mark Rafferty on Sat, Jul 10, 2010 @ 03:55 PM
The Joint Veteran's Commission in Cleveland, Ohio recently held a Flag Day event in June, 2010. The event was being held to celebrate the service that veterans and active military provide to our country.
The event was held at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH. The front area of the property had a space that would be used as the stage. However, the stage was not wheelchair accessible. A serious question came up, how would veterans attending the event, who needed access to the stage get there?
John Wright, from Amramp Cleveland had the answer. John Wright, a veteran himself realized that a rental ramp from Amramp would be the perfect solution. John is in the wheelchair ramp business and has offered many wheelchair ramps for rent in the past. In this case, John donated the time and equipment to get this rental ramp in place.
Thanks to the help of John Wright and the other organizers of this event, things were able to move ahead as planned and the Flag Day ceremonies proceeded.
John's team, skilled at their profession, was able to have the rental wheelchair ramp completely in place by 10AM on the morning of the event. After the festivities, the ramp was taken down and removed just as quickly, by 3PM that day. Amramp's modular wheelchair ramp system is the perfect solution for a 1-day special event wheelchair ramp rental. This same equipment can also be rented longer term for those recovering from a disability or even purchased by those who need a wheelchair ramp permanently.
Amramp, offers a fast, easy and safe wheelchair ramp solution to improve people's lives. Amramp is a national organization with local, factory-trained professionals and with local inventory throughout the country. To learn more about Amramp's modular steel wheelchair ramp system, please fill out the form to the left or call us toll-free at 888-715-7598
Posted by Mark Rafferty on Sat, Jul 10, 2010 @ 03:43 PM
With families spread far and wide across the country, summer is the time when get-togethers are easier. That means grandparents, of course. But they and other family members who use a wheelchair or walker have special needs.
Many families worry about whether including someone who uses a wheelchair in the plans is possible because of accessibility questions. A wheelchair ramp is the ideal solution but few families have one at their home, and vacation rentals typically are not very accessible.
Perhaps you’ve picked out a perfect spot to relax for a week, a house or cottage or villa with a bedroom on the first floor. But getting in and out of the house is making you think twice about whether it’s realistic to invite someone who uses a wheelchair. That’s where renting a wheelchair ramp comes in.
It’s not difficult and it’s affordable to have a modular wheelchair ramp installed at your home for visitors who use wheelchairs. Or you can rent one and have it properly installed in time for your week at the summer cottage on a lake or at the beach. Amramp’s modular wheelchair ramps can adapt to most surroundings with no damage or permanent alteration to the rental property.
Many families have memories of summers long ago at a vacation cottage and would like to gather generations of the family to relive the experience. They shy away, though, if the place is rustic and hard to access for those who use a cane, walker, or wheelchair.
A temporary wheelchair ramp solves this problem. And if the vacation rental doesn’t have an updated bathtub or shower, a temporary shower that hooks up to the kitchen sink for a water source is the answer.
Amramp rents and sells sturdy wheelchair ramps that can be installed by our professionals within a day. Unlike smaller, lightweight ramps, Amramps are adaptable for use in settings such as sandy, beachfront property or uneven terrain by a lake cottage. And there’s no permanent damage to the rental home.
Renting a wheelchair ramp for the vacation is an alternative to searching for a hotel that’s accessible for people who use wheelchairs. Many vacation areas are less likely to have large hotels with full amenities designed for those who use wheelchairs or walkers. And they can be distant from the shoreline.
Amramp, offers a fast, easy and safe wheelchair ramp solution to improve people's lives. Amramp is a national organization with local, factory-trained professionals and with local inventory throughout the country. To learn more about Amramp's modular steel wheelchair ramp system, please fill out the form to the left or call us toll-free at 888-715-7598
Posted by Mark Rafferty on Sat, Jul 10, 2010 @ 02:26 PM
What could better than combining Nascar with a job you love: Giving North Carolinians with mobility challenges their lives back with wheelchair ramps? For Amramp of North Carolina owner Rick Griffiths, the icing on his profession came with a call from the world-renowned architecture firm founded by I.M. Pei, whose landmarks include the John F. Kennedy Library in Boston and Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
“It’s an honor to work with the famed architects, but for me the real thrill was knowing I would be installing wheelchair ramps inside the NASCAR Hall of Fame,” Griffiths said.
As a fan who has volunteered at the track, Griffiths, welcomes the state-of-the-art facility honoring NASCAR icons: “establishing an enduring tribute to the drivers, crew members, team owners, and others that have impacted the sport in the past, present and future.”
Inside the 40,000-square-foot facility, visitors will find:
ò Showcases of the history and heritage of the sport.
ò Full Throttle Theater featuring films about the history of NASCAR
ò Glory Road: A ramp leading to more than a dozen historic cars
ò Transporter Simulator offers a firsthand look at the team's nerve-center at the track
ò A Racing Simulator: Highlighting the drivers’ race-day perspective
What visitors likely won’t see: the 5 patented steel wheelchair ramps Amramp has permanently installed inside the $160 million museum located in uptown Charlotte, adjacent to the Charlotte Convention Center: “The modular wheelchair ramps are behind-the-scenes, more for industrial ramp usage than for wheelchair ramps,” Griffiths said.
Thinking about the modular wheelchair ramp installation, the local Amramp owner based in Charlotte can’t help but relate his experience taking a race car for a spin on the track:
“It’s a big rush – an exhilaration – to be in a car that’s shaking. It’s no luxury vehicle! I averaged a speed of 142 mph, pretty good for someone who’s never done it before.”
See “where the race lives on” at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. Amramp, offers a fast, easy and safe wheelchair ramp solution to improve people's lives. Amramp is a national organization with local, factory-trained professionals and with local inventory throughout the country. To learn more about Amramp's modular steel wheelchair ramp system, please fill out the form to the left or call us toll-free at 888-715-7598
Posted by Mark Rafferty on Sat, Jul 10, 2010 @ 02:19 PM
Los Angeles County has made a great effort by installing wheelchair ramps to assure all voters can exercise their right to vote on election day.
The city set lofty goals - 100% participation of eligible voters in all elections, 100% polling place accessibility, and options for all voters who seek independent and private voting.
They contacted Brett McKee, of Amramp Los Angeles, a local provider of wheelchair ramps. Amramp, America’s leading wheelchair ramp helped the city to reach the goal to remove barriers that would prevent voters from getting to the polls to cast their votes.
McKee and the Amramp Installation Team of Dylan McKee and Sam Shriver are installing 15 wheelchair ramps at 13 different polling locations across the County for the June 8 Election starting Thursday, June 03, 2010. The 15 ramps total 344 feet of ramp and platform footage. Wheelchair ramp slope is determined by using the rise or height and calculating the distance of the wheelchair ramp needed. For every inch of rise, a ramp of 12 inches is needed to achieve a reasonable slope that a person using a wheelchair or walker can navigate.
Cities where wheelchair ramps will be installed include Carson, Granada Hills, Los Angeles, North Hollywood, Pacific Palisades, Redondo Beach, Santa Monica, South Gate, Torrance and Valley Village.
Each of these steel modular wheelchair ramps is made from 100% recycled and recyclable steel. It takes a few hours to install a wheelchair ramp. These 15 wheelchair ramps are being installed over the weekend before the Tuesday election. They were all rented and will now be taken down and returned to inventory rather than going to a landfill with no damage to the property or the environment.
Amramp, offers a fast, easy and safe wheelchair ramp solution to improve people's lives. Amramp is a national organization with local, factory-trained professionals and with local inventory throughout the country. To learn more about Amramp's modular steel wheelchair ramp system, please fill out the form to the left or call us toll-free at 888-715-7598
Posted by Mark Rafferty on Sat, Jul 10, 2010 @ 01:33 PM
(Long Beach, CA)--- A 23 foot steel wheelchair ramp helps rehabilitation therapy staff at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center. The staff at the rehabilitation therapies department assist patients regaining their mobility. An Amramp wheelchair ramp system was donated by a local company, AmRamp Los Angeles from Torrance. The wheelchair ramp system will enable patients to practice walking up and down wheelchair ramps to regain their mobility.
This wheelchair ramp system is comprised of 18 feet of sloped ramping. The wheelchair ramp system is designed to simulate a ramp going up 18 inches of rise or (height) which is equivalent to the properties of a common California house with three steps. The actual wheelchair ramp climbs at one inch of height for every foot of length. That provides the user with a gentle slope ratio recommended by the guidelines written in the Americans with Disabilities Act. The top of the wheelchair ramp has a five foot square landing platform which will enable the user to turn around safely and then descend using the 18 foot wheelchair ramp. The entire wheelchair ramp and platform has dual hand rails on all sides.
Brett McKee, of Amramp – Los Angeles became aware of the need for support at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center when attending a presentation of their unique Spinal Cord Injury Program. McKee said, “We are pleased to help the Rehabilitation Department staff to assist their patients in regaining their walking skills.”
This training program concentrates walking practice of the patient on a treadmill. Roger Kim, Team Leader of the Spinal Cord Injury Program and Rehabilitation Therapies said, “This wheelchair ramp system will allow our patients to practice their walking on a safe and realistic environment.” The wheelchair ramp system will be used for both in patient and out patient rehabilitation therapies. Spinal Cord Injury Program participants will be able to progress with their mobility skills using the wheelchair ramp.
Amramp is the leading company in the United States specializing in modular steel wheelchair ramps, offering ramps for disability access that enable the aging and disabled populations to remain in their homes. Wheelchair ramps can be installed temporarily for short or long term needs without damaging the housing structure as they are not a permanent modification to the home. Amramp’ products comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and are available for sale or rental with no minimum time frame and no wheelchair ramp size restrictions.
Amramp – Los Angeles has been providing accessibility ramps in the greater Los Angeles area since May, 2007 and has six employees. Services are also provided now in Northern California.
Posted by Mark Rafferty on Sat, Jul 10, 2010 @ 01:03 PM
Chad Ward of Amramp in Kansas City knows the wheelchair ramps he rents and sells are a huge help for people who use wheelchairs and Kansans with other mobility concerns.
But the wheelchair ramp’s significance was highlighted in dramatic fashion in early April when Chad was able to rescue a couple trapped in their Independence, Missouri, home after their wheelchair ramp was stolen. A rehabilitation facility that contracts with Chad called to ask his help when they learned that Judy and Darl Jackson, both of whom need help to get around, were trapped in their home with no wheelchair ramp to get them to the street. Judy was injured in a February car accident, and Darl uses a scooter.
Chad sprung to the rescue with Amramp’s modular steel wheelchair ramp, which is far more solid and safer than the one the Jacksons had previously.
“Their lifeline had been cut,” said Chad, whose three years’ experience with clients who use wheelchairs, canes, or walkers gave him quick insight into the Jacksons’ plight. With no wheelchair ramp, the Jacksons were at great risk in case of fire or other emergency.
Initially, Chad was asked to loan a wheelchair ramp but, as he said, the situation “snowballed” once word of the Jacksons’ situation spread. Watch the news reports on each of the major local newscasts:
FoxKC4 “Couple Left Stranded in Home by Thieves Gets Help From the Community”
Kansas City’s ABC affiliate “Theft Victims Get Replacement Ramp”
Neighbors and strangers came forward with donations; in the end the Amramp wheelchair ramp was installed permanently at their Independence, Kansas, home.
“They got a big upgrade,” Chad explained, since their new wheelchair ramp is made of steel and weighs 600 pounds. It won’t be stolen anytime soon, like the lightweight aluminum wheelchair ramp was. The new wheelchair ramp also has railings, which are standard on Amramp’s modular wheelchair ramp systems and which the smaller wheelchair ramp did not have.
Amramp, offers a fast, easy and safe wheelchair ramp solution to improve people's lives. Amramp is a national organization with local, factory-trained professionals and with local inventory throughout the country. To learn more about Amramp's modular steel wheelchair ramp system, please fill out the form to the left or call us toll-free at 888-715-7598
Posted by Mark Rafferty on Sat, Jul 10, 2010 @ 12:31 PM
It’s that time of year when schools and families across America are gearing up for graduation ceremonies. While a wheelchair ramp may not be on the planning list, it should be considered for graduates or invitees who may need help accessing the ceremonies or festivities that are part of the big day.
The big occasion can easily be spoiled if someone who uses a wheelchair or cane is shut out of the proceedings because there is no wheelchair ramp for them to reach the stage. That could be a graduating student or one of the invited speakers.
While the hall where diplomas are handed out may have a wheelchair ramp, it’s possible other buildings where events take place before and after the ceremony are not equipped with wheelchair ramps.
For situations like this, wheelchair ramp rentals are ideal. They can be installed within hours – outside or indoors - and remain in place for as long as needed. Rental wheelchair ramps have been used at college and high school commencements for many years.
Scott Fazzina has provided Amramp's modular wheelchair ramps for graduation ceremonies at Central Connecticut State University and Greenwich High School in Connecticut. In his experience, schools may want to rent a wheelchair ramp for two locations, to be prepared for an outdoor or indoor graduation. Or graduation ceremonies might be held at an off-campus facility that lacks a wheelchair ramp where the diplomas are being handed out. Gymnasiums are an obvious choice for a temporary wheelchair ramp, since commencement ceremonies are often held in gyms or other buildings used for athletic events or large gatherings.
Some schools also will have more than one graduation event, so even if a main building is accessible, a faculty club or other school building may not be. Harvard University has used portable wheelchair ramps for graduation, as has Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts.
Fazzina says schools are impressed with the flexibility of the temporary wheelchair ramps. It opens up the possibility of using facilities that normally wouldn’t be associated with graduation activities.
Posted by Mark Rafferty on Sat, Jul 10, 2010 @ 11:40 AM
Tools and Techniques to Keep Your Home Accessible
Not so long ago the thought of facing a disability was terrifying, and not only because of the health concerns. There was the added threat of having to leave one’s home and possibly end up in a nursing facility.
That is no longer true. Whether the disability is temporary or permanent, it is now possible to adapt your home or apartment so you can remain living there.
Personal hygiene is one of the biggest issues for people who need to use a wheelchair. But minor changes can be made in the bathroom. Toilet seats can be raised, bars installed on walls and a hand-held shower is a convenient alternative to ordinary shower heads.
For those who use wheelchairs, there are now portable showers that can be set up right in the kitchen, connected to the water faucet. And portable commodes are available also.
In the kitchen, Lazy Susan shelves below counters can make it easier to reach plates and pans used on a daily basis. New styles of lighting, rather than relying on overhead fixtures, can help make preparing meals easier.
One of the first things to do when a cane, walker or wheelchair is needed is to secure rugs to the floor to avoid tripping or sliding.
Also, where raised thresholds exist, a lip can be placed over them to allow wheelchairs to glide easily.
The primary obstacle to remaining at home when a person needs to use a wheelchair is negotiating entry to the house. Installing a permanent wheelchair ramp is a costly and often impractical solution to the problem. Often it cannot be done because of home style, the configuration of a house lot or restrictive zoning codes.
Today, that barrier can be overcome with a portable wheelchair ramp that can be rented for temporary needs or purchased outright for longer term use
Amramp is a national organization with local, factory-trained professionals and with local inventory throughout the country. To learn more about Amramp’s modular steel wheelchair ramp system, call toll-free at 888-715-7598.
Posted by Mark Rafferty on Sat, Jul 10, 2010 @ 10:51 AM
Attendees at the Asian Community Service Center in Gardena, CA received a presentation on Wheelchair Ramps and Safety with Brett McKee
(Gardena, CA)---Seniors recently attended a presentation and demonstration about wheelchair ramps at the Asian Community Service Center in Gardena, CA. A demonstration wheelchair ramp was set up allowing attendees to walk on the wheelchair ramp and feel the hand rails. Mari Wada, RN, described the utility of the wheelchair ramp in her hospice care of a Torrance, CA resident last year.
Brett McKee, of Amramp Los Angeles, has a Masters of Science degree in Education and Counseling. He also has earned a Certified Aging in Place Specialist designation by the National Association of Home Builders.
Amramp installs wheelchair ramps throughout the Southland at businesses, residences, schools and institutions. Amramp is the leading company in the United States specializing in modular steel wheelchair ramps, offering low-priced wheelchair ramps for disability access that enable the aging and disabled population to remain in their homes. Wheelchair ramps can be installed temporarily for short or long term needs without damaging the housing structure as they are not a permanent modification to the home. Amramp’s products comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and are available for sale or rental with no minimum time frame and no ramp size restrictions.
Amramp – Los Angeles has been providing accessibility ramps in Southern California since May, 2007 and has six employees.