The market nowadays offers many types of wheelchair lifts to its disabled customers. These devices are valuable technology-based ‘assistants’ that greatly improve a wheelchair-bound person’s life, helping him or her to feel more independent and self-confident.
If we classify the available wheelchair lifts depending on the construction of the lifting mechanism, we can see that there are four main types: the chair lift, the swing or rotary arm lift, the platform lift and the wheelchair elevator. The chair lift consists of a chair connected to a railway or to a vehicle mobility aid. It takes less space in your house or car as compared to platform lifts, but it is more difficult to use since the disabled person has to leave the wheelchair and transfer to the chair lift. The swing arm lift is usually used in vehicles for helping the handicapped person lift his/her wheelchair and store it in the car without external help.
The platform lift, no matter if it is installed inside or outside your home, in a public building or in a van, incorporates a platform that raises and lowers the wheelchair and its occupant to the desired height (the second floor of a residence, the interior of a van, a high theatre stage etc.). It is much easier to use than a stair lift or a swing lift – all its user has to do is roll onto the platform, activate the safety features and push the up/down button. The platform wheelchair lift is probably the most popular model since it offers comfort and independence to its users without requiring so many structural reconstructions of the building as wheelchair elevators (which are extremely expensive and difficult to install).
Residence platform lifts can be divided into vertical and inclined models.
Vertical platform lifts function as their name implies – they raise and lower a platform vertically, similar to an elevator. Unlike elevators, however, they take less space, being easier to install. Some vertical lifts have a plexiglass shaft, while others only have special safety barriers. Vertical platform lifts are mini-elevators for your home, having a bigger lifting capacity and better safety features than inclined chair lifts. External vertical platform lifts (which are similar to the indoor lifts, but being installed outdoors) are also called porch lifts.
Inclined platform lifts, on the other hand, are installed directly on a stairway. The platform lifts the wheelchair and its user on an inclined trajectory, along the railway that follows the shape of the staircase. You can choose between straight rail lifts and curved rail lifts. The lifts for curved rails can be manufactured only according to the parameters of your unique staircase, that’s why you can only order them in advance. Custom made models are naturally more expensive than simple lifts designed for straight rail staircases.
Most inclined platform lifts are foldable, which means that you can fold them whenever you need full stairway access. This feature makes them more convenient even for homes with several non-disabled residents.
Platforms lifts for vans allow disabled drivers and passengers to get in a car without leaving their wheelchair or scooter. The installation of such vehicle platform lifts requires significant modifications of the van’s interior (like seat removal) for accommodating the platform.
And, of course, let’s not forget about portable platform lifts which are extremely useful in public buildings: schools, libraries, churches and administrative structures.
Most wheelchair platform lifts have standard safety features: non-slippery surface, safety barriers which enclose the platform, emergency alarms, a low-battery indicator, obstruction sensors and emergency stop buttons.
Before deciding to buy a platform lift, you have to talk in advance to a professional contractor who will assess the structure of your building or van and will help you choose the best model. Don’t try to perform the installation yourself or with the help of a friend/relative. Only an expert can guarantee your safety and the normal functioning of the new device.
With the platform lift, overcoming vertical barriers without leaving the wheelchair becomes relatively easy. Of course, these devices are not cheap (the price usually ranges between one and ten thousand dollars), but it’s an investment worth making!