A Habitat for Humanity work day as a “small project”: construct a wheelchair ramp. The posts had already been sunk, so today the project was completed — a very long work day to finish. Obviously, the labor was all donated by six of us, but I don’t know what the lumber bill was. It would have started with a dozen 4×4×8' treated posts. Then pressure treated 2×6s, pressure treated 2×4s, and lots of pressure treated 5/4 deck boards. Not to mention a boatload of screws, as well as some hardware for supporting joists.
This ramp comes down from a back porch that’s 30" off the ground. ADA requirements specify that there must be a landing at the top and a landing at the bottom and for every inch the ramp drops, it must run [at least] twelve inches (1:12). So for a 30-inch drop, this ramp had to run at least 30-feet.
After we’d been at it for a few hours, the wheelchair-bound homeowner came out to thank us. She said she’s been unable to leave her house for more than a year. Now, she said, she could go to see her doctor, visit her grandkids several blocks away, and go to church. She was starting to get choked up before she ducked back inside.
Retired economics professor (“dismal scientist”). Married 40+ years to the love of my life; we have two grown daughters, both married, two granddaughters and a...
@corinnec Our volunteer-coordinator wrote this on the Facebook post, “… Thankfully, she headed back inside before I started to cry!! This is what Habitat is all about. Helping folks out. Plus, I got to spend the day with these great and giving humans that I am lucky to call my friends.” Back at you! I learn things and I get to be around truly kind and generous people.
