Accessibility Ramp NBR 9050 Calculator

Accessible ramp dimensions (NBR 9050)

For general use, Brazil's accessibility code NBR 9050 caps ramp slope at 8.33% — that's a rise/run no steeper than 1/12. You can go steeper (10-12.5%) only in retrofits where the geometry simply won't allow the standard slope, and even then only over short runs of up to 6 m. The clear width has to be at least 1.20 m, and you need a landing every 15 m of run as well as at each change of direction.

Take a 0.6 m rise: L = 0.6 / 0.0833 ≈ 7.2 m of ramp, and that's before the landings. You also need handrails on both sides set at 0.92 m and 0.70 m — the double rail covers children alongside standing and seated users — plus a kick rail sitting 5 cm off the floor so a wheelchair can't roll over the edge.

Applications

Lei 13.146/2015 (LBI), public buildings, COE Belo Horizonte/SP, sidewalks under a specific Decreto Municipal, accessibility at events, and condo bylaws.

FAQ

What if I cannot fit 8.33%? In a retrofit you can use up to 10% when the horizontal projection stays ≤3.20 m, or 12.5% when it stays ≤1.50 m.

Are vertical platforms a substitute? They can be. Elevadores de plataforma stand in for short ramps, as long as they follow the NBR 9050 dimensions.

Curb cuts also follow this? They do. Lowered curbs (rebaixamentos) have to hit the same 8.33% and provide a 1.20 m landing.