Community Paint Day Announced!

We are very sorry for this announcement: Due to the heavy rain, we moved the Community Paint Day to Saturday May 25th at 10am. 

Join us to paint our ramps on April 20th at 10am at Ditmars Playground!  We would love your help in making make our neighborhood more accessible and inclusive. 

Rain date will be 4/21 at 10am. 

Look for our ramps at participating businesses around the neighborhood soon!

*Our Community Ramp Project, in partnership with
the StopGap Foundation and the Stephen T. Mather Building Arts & Craftsmanship High School, is funded by Citizens Committee for New York City, with donations from Home Depot, LeNoble Lumber, and Behr Paints. We aim to alleviate physical barriers caused by single stepped storefronts in Astoria/LIC by providing participating businesses with a FREE colorful and deployable access ramp to eliminate barriers and create inclusive spaces we can all live, work, and play in. 

Ramps were fabricated!

Ramps were fabricated by students and the teacher of the Mather Arts and Craftsmanship High School! 

Thanks for these great achevment! 

We were waiting for transporting these fabulous ramps from the wood workshop of the High School to Astoria.

Yuki, one of great supporter of the project, helped us for transporting.

At the wood workshop

 The teacher and volunteer students of Mather Building Arts and Craftmanship High School were working on making wood ramps! 
We visited their wood workshop and cheered them. 
They worked really hard! 
Thank you so much!

Special Delivery: Ramp-Making Supplies

We've delivered the supplies to the wood workshop at Stephen T. Mather Building Arts & Craftsmanship High School, whose students will be creating the ramps as a part of their after-school woodworking program.

We bought ropes, glue, screws and cushions and brought them to the wood workshop. 

Stay tuned to see the project continue to move forward!

Ramp Measuring Day

This winter, Mr. Singler and his students from Mather Arts & Craftsmanship High School in Manhattan visited Astoria and Long Island City. 

These students have participated in our ramp project by working on the blueprints and creation of the ramps as a part of their after school/ community service woodworking program. 

They traveled to each of the nine establishments that will receive ramps, measured the storefront steps, and recorded them. This is a difficult task given the old and uneven nature of many of our city's storefronts.

We are so grateful for their time and effort! Our project wouldn't be completed without their community service and help. 

Photo by Yukiyo Nagata

We received a generous donation!

Thanks to @BehrPaint and @HomeDepot for generously donating paint to our Ramp Project NYC, a project in partnership with @StopGapRamp.

Our community ramp project is funded by a Neighborhood Grant from @CitizensNYC to increase #access in western Queens.  

We were thrilled to pick the paints up today!

 Photo by Yukiyo Nagata

Calling All Astoria Businesses!

Would you like to get a FREE ramp for your business?
Join our Community Ramp Project, in partnership with the StopGap Foundation, to alleviate physical barriers caused by single stepped storefronts in Astoria. We will provide participating businesses with a FREE colorful and deployable access ramp to eliminate barriers and create inclusive spaces we can all live, work, and play in.

We are looking for twelve Astoria businesses that have:

1. A straight, single step store front; AND

2. An entry lip of at least ½”; AND

3. A door width of at least 36”.

An example of an inaccessible location. A Stopgap ramp would help wheelchair users and caregivers pushing strollers to patronize the shop. 

FAQs:

Q: Who makes the ramps?

A: We plan for the twelve ramps to be built by volunteer high school students enrolled in a woodworking after school club at a local high school.
Watch a sample video of the process.

Q: Who pays for the materials for these ramps? Is there a delivery fee? I am afraid of any hidden costs.

A: The project has been funded by a Citizens Committee for New York City neighborhood grant, along with material donations from Behr Paints and other local hardware stores, and individual donations. These twelve ramps for our pilot project are completely free.

Q: Are you a nonprofit organization?
A: No. We're two individuals working to spread this Canadian project to our neighborhood/the U.S. via a Neighborhood Grant from Citizens Committee For NYC. We also have fiscal sponsorship from New York Foundation for the Arts. 

Q: I want to contribute to your project. How can I do this?
1. You can make a monetary donation here.

2. We welcome volunteers to help us ask for material donations from hardware stores, find inaccessible and interested establishments, paint the ramps, and help distribute them! Stopgap's international insurance covers any individuals who want to volunteer with our project. Contact us at therampprojectnyc@gmail.com to volunteer!

3. We're looking for donations from hardware stores! See our wish list.

Q: How much does a ramp weigh?
A: Ramps will likely weigh different amounts based upon their length, but an average sized ramp weighs around 30 lbs.

Q: How much weight does it support?
A: The ramp design can more than handle a 400lb power wheelchair and user, with a very large safety factor.

Q: What’s the next step if I’m interested in receiving a ramp?
A: If you want a ramp for your business, please contact us at therampprojectnyc@gmail.com. We will set up a time to visit your establishment, go over the waiver and any questions you have, get a copy of your insurance, and take measurements.
Then we’ll make and deliver your free ramp!


Become a part of this amazing project that will undoubtedly create media buzz, attract people to the neighborhood, and ultimately help raise the quality of life for everyone living in Astoria. Contact us at therampprojectnyc@gmail.com.

We look forward to hearing from you!

The Community Ramp Project Team,

Christine Serdjenian Yearwood and Rica Takashima