| As many as 100 people in the Richmond Area are waiting for wheelchair ramps so that they can leave their homes to keep medical appointments, attend religious services and run errands. The wait is difficult for individuals, caregivers and family members alike. Thanks to three Collegiate High School teens determined to make a positive difference, that wait is over.
In 2005, Coleman Wortham, Mike Dowd and Gray Fain, then juniors, started Ramp Access Made Possible by Students, or R.A.M.P.S. R.A.M.P.S.' goal is to pay for and assemble wheelchair ramps for the elderly and disabled wheelchair users who have limited financial resources.
Each ramp costs an average of $2,500. Students raise $600 for each ramp; contributions make up the difference.
To date, more than 50 ramps have been donated and built by R.A.M.P.S. with the help of the business and foundation communities. And the program has grown: three R.A.M.P.S. chapters are currently in formation in three Mid-Atlantic colleges.
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