I've fallen and I can't get up!

In our apartment there is an L-shaped wheelchair ramp that leads outside the complex.  Every single day of my life I head down this ramp and every single day I manage to slip halfway down the L-shaped ramp.  I've always managed to catch myself and prevent myself from completely falling to the ground...until today.  Today, I had my hands full and although I did not fall on my face, I did land on my right knee...HARD.  I got myself up, examined my knee, shook it off and went to work.  Three hours later and my ankle is in pain, the joint that connects my leg to the rest of my body is seriously suffering, and my back and neck wanna kill me.

I've let the water gather on this ramp after the rain without complaining.  I've had over a thousand close calls on this ramp and still have not complained.  I didn't wanna be the tenant who always complains, but now, I'm mad!  After work today, I'm going to march my butt to the office and I'm letting them know exactly how I feel.  In order to prepare for this attack, I've collected some facts from Cal OSHA, as well as the ADA!  I will not face that mean office manager unarmed!

(g) The surface of ramps shall be roughened or shall be of nonslip materials. (Title 24, Part 2, Section 2-3306(j)(7).) Our ramp in our apartment complex is NOT roughened and definitely not nonslip!  Also, our's is painted in maroon like the rest of the building, but specks of grey...which means whatever was there to prevent anyone from falling, is not well-maintained and is coming off.  UGH! 

Ramp Specs: Outdoor Conditions
Outdoor ramps and their approaches shall be designed so that water will not accumulate on walking surfaces. Our's definitely collects water and lots of it!

A4.5.1 General. People who have difficulty walking or maintaining balance or who use crutches, canes, or walkers, and those with restricted gaits are particularly sensitive to slipping and tripping hazards. For such people, a stable and regular surface is necessary for safe walking, particularly on stairs. Wheelchairs can be propelled most easily on surfaces that are hard, stable, and regular. Soft loose surfaces such as shag carpet, loose sand or gravel, wet clay, and irregular surfaces such as cobblestones can significantly impede wheelchair movement.

Slip resistance is based on the frictional force necessary to keep a shoe heel or crutch tip from slipping on a walking surface under conditions likely to be found on the surface. While the dynamiccoefficient of friction during walking varies in a complex and non-uniform way, the static coefficient of friction, which can be measured in several ways, provides a close approximation of the slip resistance of a surface. Contrary to popular belief, some slippage is necessaryto walking, especially for persons with restricted gaits; a truly "non-slip" surface could not be negotiated.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration recommends that walking surfaces have a static coefficient of friction of 0.5. A research project sponsored by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) conducted tests with persons with disabilities and concluded that a higher coefficient of friction was needed by such persons. A static coefficient of friction of 0.6 is recommended for accessible routes and 0.8 for ramps.

It is recognized that the coefficient of friction varies considerably due to the presence of contaminants, water, floor finishes, and other factors not under the control of the designer or builder and not subject to design and construction guidelines and that compliance would be difficult to measure on the building site. Nevertheless, many common building materials suitable for flooring are now labeled with information on the static coefficient of friction. While it may not be possible to compare one product directly with another, or to guarantee a constant measure, builders and designers are encouraged to specify materials with appropriate values. As more products include information on slip resistance, improved uniformity in measurement and specification is likely. The Access Board's advisory guidelines on Slip Resistant Surfaces provides additional information on this subject.

Cross slopes on walks and ground or floor surfaces can cause considerable difficulty in propelling a wheelchair in a straight line.

I'm hoping I can get them to finally fix that wheelchair access ramp!  I realize I might be a bit overzealous with this research, but I'm mad!  (and in pain...)

God Bless,
Kat