I ended up emailing the company that sells this item and asked if the ladder was removable. I got a reply today stating that yes it is removable, it is "clipped onto the shelf". So to me that explains the weird look of it. I'm still trying to decide to order one or another of the wired shelves.
Sometimes I like using fleece cage items and other times I prefer a hard surface furnishings or even a nice mix of both to provide landing/hanging out levels through out the cage. My gliders like to jump and climb, but also enjoy just sitting and hanging out eating their food, checking out toys/activities or just chill'n. They do like to hang out on the floor of the cage, so adding interest higher up is my goal. I like to have these areas spread throughout the cage.