The Great Outdoors Part 5

Parking and Entrances

As you can see from the illustration at the right, an accessible driveway is flat and level. Also there are no sudden changes in elevation from one area to another. The driveway is also wider than a one- car driveway by approximately another car width. This allows extra space on the right side of the vehicle for loading and unloading disabled passengers. The walkway from the driveway to the front entrance is wider than a normal sidewalk. To allow for accessibility, the front entrance needs to have a width of 48”. Also, there is not a change in elevation when you reach the porch. The transition from the walkway to the porch is flat and smooth. The porch has a slight angle to it. If you look closely you can see that it slopes from the front door to the flower bed. This create the zero threshold we discussed in an earlier post. The threshold itself is less than 1/2” high. There is one area that, for now, cannot be dealt with and that is the transition from the street to the driveway. In recent years this has begun to change, with curved, sloping curbs, but it still presents a challenge in some subdivisions. It is always a good idea, if possible, to create a landing pad at the curb. This is an area of concrete connecting the curb to the sidewalk or walkway to the front entrance. This provides a solid surface for unloading disabled visitors to your home as well as a solid path to your door. Until next time, breathe peace and God's Love.........................