Thanks Deb .

Will the person using the chair have upper body strength and is this person at all heavy? My step-father-inlaw uses a chair and can manage that sort of surface in most cases, but he was/is athletic. A really steep grade would get rutted from feet and tires wouldn't it and who will maintain it? A steep grade will keep the person who is not yet using a chair from using it also. Can the paths be winding rather than straight and reduce the grade? Or at least diagonal up the hill?

A pebbly surfaced concrete would be a better choice for anything that will get lots of wear. The grade should not be more than 1 in 12 anyway. That is the standard that I have seen for ramps (a greater grade can cause the chair to tip) ... see link below. My step-father-inlaw could take a steeper grade ... but he is an exception and a path like that is best designed to code. Since this is a path not a ramp ... you may not have to follow all of what they say. Check for local regulations to be sure.

Fireraven9
Come my spade. There is no ancient gentlemen but gardeners, ditchers, and grave-makers; they hold up Adam's profession. - Shakespeare, Hamlet V,i

Here is a link that might be useful: ADA Codes

Here in NH we have a firm that produces a product called Permaturf. It is a plastic honeycomb grid and comes in panels that will apparently bend to the contour of the earth. After laying it down, you may cover it with soil and overseed with grass. It is supposed to be very firm, support tons of weight without cracking, and keep ruts from forming along the edges of drives/lawn, in dog pens, etc. I once recommended this to a gardening client who used a wheelchair and had a hard time navigating the ruts beneath her mailbox, left by the mail vehicle. Don't think she ever pursued it. I have never tried this product; they do mention "wheelchair paths" on their website as one of the possible uses. Might be worth checking out their site at: www.permaturf.com.
Ginger

thanks for the great links ! and your insight too.

I have a garden path through my yard and it does have a slight incline to it. my husband put down crusher run, which is small rocks that over time and use gets as hard as concrete but gives my tires the extra grip due to the rocks. You might want to try looking into that. Crusher run is cheap cheap cheap and you can put it anywhere. :)

I use a wheelchair and have for a very long time and while I personally feel wood paths are best my husband refused to lay them across my yard! hehe The alternative has worked very nicely.

Hope you find what you are looking for.

goodluck
hugs
Maigan

We put asphalt paths through the garden - we have a very large yard including small orchard. It looks really nice (surprisingly) and it is perfect for my electric scooter. I think it is cheaper than concrete would be and I like the look better. We have some fairly steep inclines.

The book Enabling Gardens: Creating Barrier Free Gardens by Gene Rothert has some great information about how to create all kinds of raised beds, paths and other garden structures from all different types of materials, and the good and bad points of each of these materials. Gene Rothert is the manager of the Enabling Garden and Horticulture Therapy at Chicago Botanic Garden. Also has info on adaptive tools and methods. As community garden manager, I use this book for technical information often.

Shelly

thanks to magain for sharing about crusher run for wheelchair paths. I leave in a mobily impaired apt. bld. with 40 residents, most use wheelchairs, canes, or walkers. nineteen residents have ADOPTED A Barrel and are going to try and take back a pieces of their life. I think it is great. will let you know, how it goes!

another good source of info.
vickie

Just read your post.As another poster asked does the user have good upper body strength to propel themselves ?
Being in a wheelchair due to a spinal cord injury and being an active gardner and outdoors active guy I spend a lot of time on uneven/smooth surface.Since the path will be up a hill what is moderatly steep? A 12-1 slope is the standard but lesser is easier say a 14-1 if its longer than 20feet.Think about making the path a winding path to lessen the slope as I have found its easier to go a longer path than a steeper on (sort of like switchbacks on a mountain roadway).
I'm unfamilier with the grainite you mention but around here what is often used is TRG, stone dust which is crushed traprock,with stones no larger than 3/4inch,This will also pack down to a concrete like solid surface that isn't smooth but will last for years if installed properly.
This TRG is very very cheap.
Keep the slope as less as possible.
In my garden I have nothing installed yet but I'm going to try creeping pennyroyal.Mind you the paths are over 5 years old packed down dirt.
Post what you end up doing.

A few words from someone who is heavy and uses a motorized wheelchair because I can't walk long distances. I have found that very small gravel type paths are accessible but they can't be very deep or the tires on my wheelchair get stuck. And being heavy, it is difficult to get it unstuck!

Regarding the incline ... I went up a driveway today that had a steep incline. My chair and I almost didn't make it! And to get back down, a couple of guys held down the back of my chair so it wouldn't tip forward. If I was totally wheelchair bound, this type of situation would scare me to death!

I agree that smooth concrete or the asphalt would make more ideal services. When you start using bricks or other pavers, it makes for a bumpy and sometimes dangerous ride (the smaller wheels on my wheelchair get caught in the ruts).

northhadley made a wonderful suggestion. I would try to make the uphill path snake up the hill rather than be a straight incline.

mmcc, thanks for the idea of the asphalt. I would have never thought of it for the backyard.