Missing WWII veteran honored at cemetery
Former Moberly resident and World War II veteran Ernest Glenn Hellensmith, who was missing along with his crew for about 65 years, was honored with a memorial service on Friday at the Missouri Veterans Cemetery near Jacksonville.  

Folding wheelchair ramps are an essential piece of equipment for anyone needing to use a wheelchair or mobility scooter. Wheelchair ramps provide accessibility to buildings, classrooms and restaurants, as well as the homes of family or friends and many other locations. With a folding wheelchair ramp, you have more freedom to easily move from place to place because of the ease of portability.

When it comes to mobility ramps, there is a lot to choose from. They are extremely versatile and can be used in many capacities. With these ramps you can easily negotiate steps or curbs, and load or unload wheelchair or scooter from your vehicle.

Before deciding on a ramp, there are a few things you should think about.

The primary purpose of a wheelchair ramp is to assist the elderly or people with disabilities in get around physical barriers. So it's important to think about where the ramp will mainly be used.

If a ramp is mostly for entering or exiting the home, it might be a good idea to build a permanent ramp. On the other hand, if you will be moving the ramp around, a portable ramp may be a better idea. A wheelchair or scooter can be very heavy and awkward to try to lift. In fact in many cases you won't be able to lift them without assistance. Folding wheelchair ramps are a good solution because they are quite easy to move and fold up compactly for storage.

Next, figure out the height you are trying to negotiate and how steep an incline there will be. For instance, if you are loading into a minivan, the height will be much less than if you are loading the chair into the back of a pickup.

For larger size scooters or wheelchairs, you will want a ramp that is wide enough to comfortably accommodate that extra width. A folding wheelchair will not require as wide a ramp.

And finally, if you have to carry the ramp from one spot to another, as you might inside of a house or building, you may want to find a ramp that will be relatively lightweight. With that in mind, an aluminum loading ramp is probably the best option. Aluminum is lighter by far than other metals used in making ramps. Because of that, aluminum loading ramps are a lot easier to move around.

You have a few options when looking at folding wheelchair ramps. There are both single fold and multi fold ramps available.

A single fold ramp folds in the middle. It is easy to maneuver around and to set up. When folded, they are designed to be carried as you would a suitcase.

Multi fold ramps have the added benefit of being extra long. These are very versatile folding wheelchair ramps. Because they fold into several pieces they are easily carried around while having the toughness to support a lot of weight.

Folding wheelchair ramps are a wonderful mobility aid for anyone using a scooter or a wheelchair, providing the opportunity for greater independence and freedom of movement.

Compare before you buy. Find out more about what to look for in folding wheelchair ramps by visiting aluminumloadingramp.org.