Curb Ramps: A Vital Yet Often Overlooked Piece of Accessibility

Curb ramps, or "curb cuts" make or break the independence of wheelchair users and are extremely convenient for strollers, suitcases, children and the elderly.

While provisions for curb ramps have existed since at least 1961, they were not widely required until 1991 under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Even with the passed legislation they are not always guaranteed, and tend to be too narrow or steep when they are provided.

Holding cities accountable

While it has been over 35 years since the ADA went into effect, individuals who rely on curb ramps to navigate around our cities and suburbs often find it difficult and sometimes impossible to traverse curbs at intersections, parking lots, and entrances because curb ramps do not comply or do not exist.

There are several cities that have been sued over crosswalks including Seattle, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Los Angels and San Jose and now Chicago. Please note: United Spinal is not affiliated with these lawsuits.

"Throughout the City of Chicago, public pedestrian rights of way are dilapidated, dangerous, and generally inaccessible to people with mobility disabilities. These barriers are pervasive and prevent people with mobility disabilities from traveling freely and participating in everyday life," reads the proposed class-action lawsuit, filed in federal court in Chicago Wednesday.

One plaintiff is Chicago Transit Authority board member Michele Lee, a disability rights advocate. She demonstrated how inaccessible Chicago streets can be for wheelchair users - even in one of the most well-resourced neighborhoods.

"I'm very fortunate to live in this neighborhood - it's a lovely neighborhood," Michele told the Chicago Tribune. "I should be able to navigate my neighborhood just like everyone else in the city." The lawsuit requests an order requiring the city to promptly fix damaged and deteriorated sidewalks, curb ramps and crosswalks.

The history of curb ramps

1945 Jack Fisher, a disabled veteran, convinces his hometown to provide curb ramps in the downtown area so that people using wheelchairs could access local businesses.

1968The Architectural Barriers Act requires federal facilities to be accessible, including curb ramps.

Early 1970's Activist students with disabilities at the University of California, Berkely, demand curb ramps to enable them to get to classes on campus. In some cases, they built their own ramps as an act of civil disobedience.

1973 Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 prohibited discrimination on the basis of disability by entities receiving federal assistance, primarily in the form of federal money.

1978The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) issued regulations implementing Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that served as a template for other Executive agencies providing federal assistance.

The HEW regulations referenced the "American National Standard's Institute Specifications for Making Buildings and Facilities Accessible to, and Usable by, the Physically Handicapped" - ANSI-1961 as the standard for new construction and alterations. ANSI 1961 contained provisions for curb ramps which are similar to those in use today.

1979 DOT issues its Section 504 regulations containing a specific requirement for curb ramps complying with the ANSI-1961 to be installed at all "crosswalks constructed with federal assistance". The regulations also require recipients of federal assistance to provide written assurance of compliance with the Section 504 regulations.

1990 The Americans with Disabilities Act is passed by Congress and signed into law. The ADA requires curb ramps to be installed in public accommodations, commercial facilities, and on state and local government properties regardless of federal assistance.

1991 The U.S. Access Board publishes the 1991 ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) which contain technical specifications for curb ramps, including detectable warnings to alert blind pedestrians that they are crossing into vehicular areas.

The U. S. Department of Justice publishes their regulations implementing the ADA and adopting the ADAAG as their "1991 ADA Standards". The DOJ regulations require curb ramps to be installed at new and existing buildings and facilities as well as street crossings.

2004 The U.S. Access Board publishes the ADA and ABA Accessibility Guidelines which no longer require detectable warnings on curb ramps.

2006 DOT updates its ADA regulations to specify that curb ramps in transportation facilities must have detectable warnings.

2023 The Access Board publishes "Accessibility Guidelines for the Public Right-of-Way" (aka PROWAG) which include updated curb ramp details.

2024 The U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Federal Management Regulation are updated to adopt PROWAG under the Architectural Barriers Act for federal facilities. Also, the U.S. Department of Transportation adopts PROWAG for transit stops in the public right-of-way covered by the ADA.

Curb ramp requirements

Curb ramps should be provided anytime an accessible route crosses a curb. Most commonly, this would be at street crossings, crosswalks, access aisles, passenger loading zones and raised entrances.

There are two main types of curb ramps: perpendicular curb ramps and parallel curb ramps. Both are accessible if designed and constructed correctly. As the names suggest, a perpendicular curb ramp runs perpendicular to the curb/street, and a parallel curb ramp runs parallel.

A curb ramp run should slope as little as possible with a maximum slope of 1:12, meaning that for every 1 inch of vertical height, there must be at least 12 inches of horizontal length. Anything steeper can be difficult to use, and even dangerous.

Counter slopes of adjoining surfaces immediately adjacent to the curb ramp run must not be steeper than 1:20. A curb ramp run should also be as wide as possible, with a minimum width of 36 inches.

The transition between adjoining surfaces immediately adjacent to the curb ramp run should be flush. In addition, there must be a level landing area at the top of a curb ramp that is at least 36 inches deep (48 inches per the PROWAG) and as wide as the ramp run.

Grade breaks (surfaces with differing slopes) are not permitted within the ramp run or on the landing area. Grade breaks at the top or bottom of the cub ramp must be aligned perpendicular to the direction of travel along the curb ramp run.

Design professionals should check local building codes for additional requirements implemented by local jurisdictions. Requirements for detectable warnings at curb ramps vary across the United States.

What's next?

In 2023, the U.S Access Board published new and updated curb ramp details. It's time for the U.S. Department of Justice to adopt the updated details to ensure curb crossing is accessible and usable for all.

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