Slip Sliding Away

I need your help. This is the first year that we have had our wheelchair ramp and really needed to use it. It is Ronnie's only access into the house.

Last week, we had our first snow. I was dreading it - not because I don't like snow - I really love snow - but I knew that the ramp was going to be an issue. And sure enough, it was.

So here's where I need the help. What do others of you that have ramps do when the ramps get snowy or icy?

Our ramp is made of wood - decking material - and when it gets icy, it gets really really slippery. When we get even an inch of snow, Ronnie's chair won't plow through it. I know we can use the ice melt crystals, but I do worry about the environmental impact of that. I used ice melt last Winter on my front porch and steps, and it took the paint off!

We do have the non-slip strips of sandpaper like stuff on every third plank going down the ramp, but they just seem to get as icy or as snow covered as the rest of the ramp. Any ideas???

(The picture above is not of our ramp, but our ramp is similar. It's about the same angle of descent, and the non-slip strips are similar.)