Free ramps for Brampton businesses through StopGap community program

Brampton | Caledon | Latest News |

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Published March 9, 2023 at 1:42 pm

Luke Anderson (left), the founder of the StopGap Foundation, poses with recipients of a StopGap ramp. (Photo retrieved from StopGap.ca)

Brampton businesses in need of accessibility options can get a little help through the StopGap Foundation’s free access ramp program.

The City of Brampton has partnered with StopGap to make 20 access ramps available for free to local businesses and organizations that don’t have accessibility options because of a single-step front entrance.

The ramps won’t just be functional but fashionable as well with local visual artists painting and decorating the ramps, increasing accessibility while creating new opportunities for artists to showcase their work across the city.

Businesses and organizations are required to be within Brampton city limits to qualify and must have a single step no taller than 9” from the walkway to the front entrance, or the entrance most commonly used by the public.

The deadline for the program is March 24, and applicants must meet the following criteria to apply:

  • Ramps leading to the landing must allow for door clearance and a turning radius
  • Ramps must allow for a clear path of travel, including a sidewalk clearance zone and unobstructed sidewalk access
  • No patio that requires individuals to cross a drive lane or block a fire access route
  • Businesses and organizations must carry insurance
  • Businesses and organizations must agree to remove the ramp during snow events

StopGap began with the launch of its first Community Ramp Project in Toronto’s Junction neighbourhood and has since expanded to other cities and provinces across Canada with a vision “where every person can access every space.”

The ramps can cost between $280 to $470, and the City says reducing and removing barriers while enhancing access “is essential to providing increased opportunities that foster independence, inclusion and dignity for people of all ages and abilities.”

The StopGap Foundation helps communities discover the benefits of barrier-free spaces and raises awareness about barriers in our built environment, as we all work toward removing these barriers. 

For more information on the StopGap community ramp program in Brampton visit www.brampton.ca/accessibility.

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