Rabea Zahner

We were tasked with finding various examples of how doors are opened, closed and locked as well as of how spaces are entered and left by both going out in search In our own locality and researching on the web.

I went for a walk through streets nearby and noticed that many houses and public squares are not accessible for wheelchair users. That's because most building entrances consist of steps that block the way. That inspired me to design my own ramp that neither takes up too much space nor looks like a facility for people with disabilities but is, rather, inviting In appearance.

I reconnoitred all manner of localities in my sketches so as to gain a better impression of what I would be wishing to design for my final blueprint. After giving some thought to the potential afforded by a ramp,

I consulted the web, a wheelchair-bound friend of mine and Rita Ebel, who is known for building Lego ramps. After discussions with my target group, I decided to design a ramp that also functions as a doormat.

Talking to my friend made me aware of how difficult it is to open and close doors when confined to a wheelchair. I accordingly designed a door that can be opened in both directions and features an in-built door stop. This is activated when the handle is in a straight position.

The ramps I additionally designed are for use in a private household. These are two aluminium ramps that, when not in use, can double up as door mats.

One of the ramps is mechanical, which is cheaper but at the cost of depriving wheelchair users of a certain amount of autonomy, since they will not usually be able to open it out.
Which is why I fashioned another, electric ramp that wheelchair users can activate themselves using their mobiles.
The main advantage of these ramps over other ramps is that they do not take up too much space when stored.

Creating accessibility

I have understood that many places are not wheelchair-accessible. We should bear such needs in mind when designing spaces and other entities and strive to make the world as accessible as possible.