From retrofitting an older building some years ago, I well recall that an ADA compliant ramp has at most a 1:12 pitch (one inch rise per foot) and must provide

From retrofitting an older building some years ago, I well recall that an ADA compliant ramp has at most a 1:12 pitch (one inch rise per foot) and must provide I forget how many square feet of flat landing outside the door (to allow opening the door after reaching the level of it). So if your doorsill is, say, 2 feet above grade -- not uncommon, 3 steps -- that's a 24-foot long ramp minimum. It's hard to tell from the pictures in the article, but it looks like there's more like a four-foot rise to that coffee shop. That's a 48-foot ramp, of a certain width, with a railing. Few existing buildings have room for such a ramp on a straight run. So, easy fix you think, we fold the ramp in a hairpin. But wait; wherever it changes direction you must have a level landing of I forget how many square feet, to allow the chair and the attendant pushing it, to turn the corner. By the time you add a compliant ramp to an existing building you are likely to have covered a lot of ground with ramp. If you had that much ground to spare, and can give up the landscaping or outdoor patio it once was. The alternative is a wheelchair lift. Like a little outdoor elevator platform. These are fairly expensive to buy and install, but require much less space.