Introduction to Designing Accessible Ramps in Line with Part M

Ramps play a vital role in creating inclusive and accessible environments. They provide step-free access for wheelchair users, people with limited mobility, those pushing prams, and many others who may struggle with steps. But ramps need to be carefully designed. Too steep and they become unsafe and exhausting to use. Too shallow and they can dominate a site or floor plan.

To help make the design process easier, we’ve created a new Ramp Gradient Calculator tool. It gives you a quick way to test rise and run measurements against the requirements of the UK Building Regulations, Approved Document Part M.

Designing Ramps for Everyone

Accessible design isn’t just about compliance; it’s about ensuring dignity, independence and ease of movement for everyone. A poorly designed ramp can be as much of a barrier as a set of steps — particularly if the gradient is too steep.

Gradients affect safety, comfort, and usability. For example:

• A shallow 1:20 ramp is easy to use and blends seamlessly into most layouts, but it takes more space.
• A steeper 1:12 ramp saves space but is tiring and can be unsafe without careful detailing.

By getting the balance right, designers can make spaces that are not only compliant but genuinely inclusive.

What Building Regs Part M Tells Us

Approved Document Part M of the Building Regulations sets out the requirements for access to and use of buildings. For ramps, the guidance includes:

• Maximum gradient: no steeper than 1:12.
• Maximum flight length: depends on the gradient (see below).

Clear widths:

• 900 mm minimum for private use.
• 1200 mm minimum for communal use.

Landings:

• Required at the top and bottom of every ramp.
• Intermediate landings needed between flights and where direction changes.
• Each landing must be at least 1200 mm long and free of door swings.

Alternative stepped access:

• If the total rise exceeds 300 mm, a stepped route must also be provided.

These are minimum requirements, and as with much of the Building Regulations, best practice often means going beyond the minimum.

The Challenges of Ramp Design

Ramps are rarely simple to integrate. Designers often need to balance space constraints with regulatory requirements. A shallow, comfortable ramp can take up a large footprint, which may be impractical in tight urban sites or existing buildings. Conversely, forcing a ramp into too short a space can push the gradient beyond what Part M allows.

Other considerations include:

Safety features: Non-slip surfaces, proper handrails, and adequate lighting are essential. A ramp that meets the gradient requirements but is slippery when wet isn’t really accessible.

User experience: The approach to the ramp should be clear and unobstructed. Users need to be able to see where they’re going and have places to rest if needed.

Design integration: A ramp shouldn’t look like an afterthought bolted onto your building. The best accessible design feels natural and integrated.

Our New Ramp Gradient Calculator

To make ramp design fast, intuitive, and precise, we built a Ramp Calculator Toolkit with three powerful tools that work together:

Ramp Gradient Reference Tool

1. • Input rise and run, and get an instant result in both ratio (e.g. 1:14) and percentage, with clear feedback on compliance with Part M guidance.

Ramp Length Calculator

1. • Enter the vertical height (rise) you need to overcome (in mm), and the tool tells you the length of ramp required for every gradient between 1:12 (steepest) and 1:20 (shallowest).
   • Great for early-stage planning or comparing options when space is tight.

Ramp Rise Calculator

• • Provide the physical ramp length (run) you have available (in mm), and the tool returns the maximum height (rise) you can achieve across gradients from 1:12 to 1:20.
  • Perfect when retrofitting or working within tight spaces to check what elevation you can cover safely.

Together, these calculators make up the Ramp Calculator Toolkit, designed for architects, designers, students, and accessibility advisors alike. Whether you’re starting with a height, a length, or a slope, the tool ensures you can explore all three relationships—rise, run, and gradient—quickly, accurately, and in full alignment with Part M requirements.

You can try the calculator below.

Beyond Compliance – Best Practice in Accessible Design

Meeting the minimum standards is essential, but it’s not the whole story. A ramp that technically complies may still be uncomfortable or impractical for some users. Best practice might mean:

• Opting for gradients shallower than 1:20 where space allows.
• Designing generous, well-lit landings.
• Using handrails and tactile paving to enhance safety and usability.
• Considering how the ramp fits into the wider journey — from the street to the front door, or across a site.

Ultimately, designing ramps is about empathy: thinking about the people who will use them and ensuring they can do so with comfort and dignity.

Getting it Right

Designing accessible ramps is fundamentally about understanding that small details can have big impacts on people’s daily lives. A ramp that’s well-designed doesn’t just meet regulatory requirements – it genuinely makes spaces more inclusive and welcoming.

The regulations in Part M give you a solid foundation, but the best designs come from combining technical compliance with genuine consideration for users’ needs. Whether you’re working on a new building or improving an existing one, taking the time to get ramp design right is an investment in creating spaces that truly work for everyone.

Start with understanding the requirements, use tools to help with calculations, but always remember that behind every gradient and measurement is someone who just wants to get from A to B with dignity and ease.

Our Ramp Gradient Calculator has been created to make your design process easier, giving you a quick, reliable way to check gradients and compliance.

Try it out today, and start designing ramps that are safe, compliant, and inclusive.

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