- 1). Park the van on a flat surface and turn off the engine.
- 2). Open the sliding door to the van as wide as possible.
- 3). Place the tip of a measuring tape on the van floor in the middle of the open door.
- 4). Stretch the measuring tape straight down to the ground and measure the vertical height of the van floor from the ground in inches. Record this measurement on a piece of paper as the height.
- 5). Divide the height by two to obtain the ramp length for a wheelchair that will enter and exit the van with a person sitting in it. For example, if the height is 12 inches the ramp length will be 6 feet long; or one foot for every two inches of rise. This fulfills the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements for a 2:12 slope.
- 6). Divide the height by three to obtain the ramp length for an empty wheelchair entering and exiting the van. This is the recommendation by the ADA for a 3:12 slope for unoccupied wheelchairs.
- 7). Measure the width of the van floor with the door open. Use only the distance that is flat on the floor without any obstructions from the open door. Subtract two inches from the measurement and record it on the paper with a pen. This is the maximum width of a wheelchair ramp for the van.
- 8). Place the tip of a tape measure on the outside edge of the left front wheelchair wheel. Stretch the tape to the outside edge of the right front wheel. Add 6 inches to this measurement. This is the minimum width of a wheelchair ramp for the van.
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