Disabled Access Ramp Slope

Clear disability ramp plans give builders and building surveyors everything needed to confirm compliance before a slab is poured. Drawings should include:

• Levels and Total Rise: Existing and finished levels at the top and bottom of the ramp.
• Gradient and Run Lengths: The gradient of each run, checked against the landing intervals.
• Landings and Circulation: Landing sizes, including the circulation space needed at any door.
• Handrails and Kerbs: Handrails on both sides, their extensions and the kerb or kerb rail detail.
• Surfaces and TGSIs: Slip-resistant finishes and tactile ground surface indicator (TGSI) locations where required.

Our Plan Reviews can be carried out at any stage, from concept and planning permit through design development to final working drawings. The concept stage is the least costly time to discover that a site needs a longer ramp, a switchback layout or a passenger lift.

A ramp only works if the route to it works. For buildings covered by the NCC access provisions, an accessway is needed from the main points of pedestrian entry at the allotment boundary, from any required accessible car parking space on the site and from other accessible buildings connected by a pedestrian link. Reliable disabled ramp access means every link in that chain connects without a step, gap or steep section.

Common issues include ramps that finish directly at a door without enough circulation space, a lip where the ramp meets the footpath, and ramps placed at a side entrance far from the main entry.

Ramps built years ago do not always match their drawings, and surfaces wear over time. During an Access Appraisal, we measure the gradient along each run and the crossfall on landings, then check handrails, kerbs, surface condition and the transitions at each end. Our report sets out what complies, what falls short and the practical options for fixing it.

Where a ramp cannot meet the Deemed-to-Satisfy provisions, such as on a narrow heritage frontage, a Performance Solution may provide an alternative compliance pathway. It must meet the same Performance Requirements and be assessed and approved by a building surveyor.

Our access consultants have training and experience in AS 1428, the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) and the NCC. We have worked with architects, builders and project managers on accessibility solutions from planning and design through to renovations and modifications. If you’re an architect, draftsperson or town planner, our free 30-minute consultation walks your team through the benefits of engaging an access consultant on every project.