Ramps to Go.

Ask Tom and Margaret Barbeau of Minneapolis about the attractive, deck-like ramp and step system that leads up to their back door, and you'll hear, "awesome", "amazing", "couldn't live without them!" Tom Barbeau, a real estate agent, has had MS for 20 years, and while he doesn't use a cane, he does have difficulty with steps. Margaret Barbeau also has MS. She uses a crutch cane and a scooter, and works as an activity assistant at an extended care facility. With the extreme winters in Minnesota, navigating the entrance to their home was challenging.

In 1994, the Ramp Project provided the plans and a supervisor, and the Barbeaus rounded up volunteer construction workers. They spent $850 for lumber and supplies. The ramp and low-riser steps they built turned out to be the ideal solution.

The Ramp Project was started in 1992 by Bob Zimmerman, a.k.a. "The Ramp Guy". He's an independent living counselor at the Minnesota Division of Rehabilitation Services. His assignment: to help anyone with a disability become more independent.

Bob Zimmerman got his motivation in 1990, when he was assisting a cancer patient who required weekly hospital treatments. A ramp seemed to be the best solution. It took 5 months to get the project started.

During that time, the woman had to be carried to and from her home. "The day the lumber arrived to start construction on her ramp, she passed away," recalled Mr. Zimmerman. "That hit me like a ton of bricks." There had to be a better way for people to get in and out of their homes.

In August 1991 he teamed with the Metropolitan Center for Independent Living and the National MS Society's Minnesota Chapter, which donated $1,000 for a tool ldt. They set up a program to supervise volunteer ramp builders.

Brainstorming with City of Minneapolis Engineer Don Olson and an engineering ruin, Mr. Zimmerman and his colleagues developed a modular system that could be installed year round. They came up with a design for ramps and steps that are built in sections, either on or off the site. Because the design is modular, each part can be tailored to individual needs and site requirements. Unlike traditional ramps, these don't require a permanent frost footing where holes are dug and posts are set below the frost line. This saves time and money, and allows for year-round installation in cold climates. The modules can be built quickly, and just as quickly disassembled and reused at a new location. The material is standard, construction-grade, pressure-treated lumber.

"The cost is about the same as a traditional ramp, or about $25 per running foot," explained Mr. Zimmerman. "The general rule is the labor cost equals the material cost," he continued. "But with our plans, one supervisor with some basic carpentry skills can use unskilled volunteers to do the construction."

The first modular ramp was installed in May 1992. The next January the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency awarded a $9,000 grant for publication of the construction manual. Bob Zimmerman's goal was to create clear, understandable, and accessible building instructions. The manual, "How to Build Ramps for Home Accessibility", can be printed from the web site (www.dragnet.org) or purchased for $15 from the Metropolitan Center for Independent Living (phone: [phone]; or write: 1600 University Ave. West, Suite 16, St. Paul, MN 55104-3825). A half-hour video companion to the manual is available for $20.

While most inventors struggle to keep their trade secrets under wraps, The Ramp Guy wants to give people the tools they need for independence. Hence, he is on something of a personal mission to have his plans used nationwide. And that's exactly what's happening.

To date, there have been more than 900 installations in 15 states, and 200 of the installations have been reused. Sometimes one individual assembles a few volunteers and pays for supervision. A family member with basic carpentry skills can supervise the project, utilizing labor from volunteers who have little carpentry experience.

Ramps are also getting built through community partnerships involving volunteers, contractors, public and private agencies, and the people who need access to their homes. In 1994, Mountain Housing Opportunities in Asheville, North Carolina, sponsored a barbecue and ramp festival. The event included construction of 10 ramps for people who were elderly or had disabilities. Materials were donated by local lumber yards. The festival was so successful it's now an annual event. In Michigan, the Kenny Foundation has proposed an Adopt-A-Ramp project. Area businesses will be solicited for $1,000 contributions and asked to donate 4 employees for a day of construction.

In 1995, The Minnesota Ramp Project was one of the 30 winners of the Innovations in American Government Award, sponsored by the Ford Foundation and the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and received a $20,000 grant to promote the ramp building plans. Mr. Zimmerman used the money to produce a 1-hour Telstar satellite broadcast that aired on cable stations nationwide. The television show "Hometime" also broadcast the program during a segment entitled "Building and Remodeling for Accessibility".

Because the plans were developed through nonprofit organizations, they will not be promoted commercially. Many people learn about them through networking and word of mouth. That seems to be working. In 1998, the plans were used for building 191 ramps and steps in the Minneapolis area alone. And just this winter, New York State reviewed the plans. As a result, the New York State Developmental Disability Planning Council proposed the Accessibility 2000 project--the construction of 2,000 modular ramps in that state by the end of 2000.

The Ramp Guy is pleased with the momentum. He wants to see this affordable, practical ramp design in use in all 50 states.

Katherine Shaw, who has MS, is a writer based in Portland, Oregon.