Quick Facts about Wheelchair Lifts

As the name suggests, wheelchair lifts are advanced mobility systems that transport physically disabled and aged wheelchair users up a flight of steps. These lifts provide easy access to different parts of their home or place of business and are indeed a long-term investment. Wheelchair lifts are available in various models and can be installed inside or outside the house. They are also available as ‘open' and ‘enclosed' models.

Residential wheelchair lifts include vertical wheelchair lifts, inclined wheelchair lifts and portable wheelchair lifts. Vertical platform lifts come with platforms of different sizes and offer smooth movement from floor to floor. Inclined wheelchair lifts or wheelchair stair lifts are designed to fit turning stairways with intermediate landings. A portable wheelchair lift can be carried along anywhere and ensures accessibility to many sites including stages and platforms.

Wheelchair lifts are advantageous in that they are flexible, easy to install, easy to maintain, and easily customizable to suit your specific needs; they have excellent safety features and provide access to multi-level stairs. They feature user-friendly operation, are durable, don't take much space, and are quiet and comfortable.

Most of the home wheelchair lifts as well as commercial wheelchair lifts come with standard features such as:

• Large ADA compliant platform which facilitates easy and safe access for the users
• Constant pressure on-board controls enable easy movement of lift and ensure smooth operation
• Key lock controls prevent unauthorized usage of wheelchair stair lift.
• 3 drive systems: A/C powered belt driven ballscrew, battery powered belt driven ballscrew and battery powered hydraulic
• Underpan obstruction sensors automatically stop the lift, whenever it encounters an obstruction on its travel path. This protects the user from accidents and injuries.
• Door interlocks
• Safety brakes
• Auto-folding ramp keeps the lift folded when not in use, leaving the stairways free for other people.
• Emergency stop button on car allows the user to stop the lift in case of an emergency
• Non-skid platform prevents any kind of injury that may result from slips and falls.
• Automatic battery recharging system
• Audio visual alarm

In the market, a wide range of wheelchair lifts are available to choose from. Before choosing one, it is necessary for the user to know all details about the product. While buying a wheelchair lift, users should take care to select the models that fulfill their requirements. They should ensure that the models are compatible with their wheelchairs. The most important factors to be considered while purchasing are the maintenance cost, safety features and availability of spare parts. It is advisable to go for the brand that comes with maintenance services.