How Great is a Stair Lift for a Wheelchair?

When you can't climb stairs but need to access upper floors in your home or a public building, a wheelchair lift can make all the difference. It can bring you the joy of being able to access the rest of your home where before you were maybe limited to only using the ground floor.

I said in an earlier post that I would take a look at stairway lifts designed specifically for transporting wheelchair users and their wheelchairs up and down flights of stairs. So after checking out some information on them, I got busy writing this one up and here it is.

Obstacles for Wheeled Mobility Situations

When you are having to get around in a wheelchair, there are some things that get in the way that can be as impassable as a mountain unless you have help. Stairs fall into this category and unless there is an alternative way up or down, then you either have to sit there glaring at them or wait for some people to come and help you.

This is not much of a solution and is undignified and can even be a little dangerous to have two guys carry you up or down a set of stairs if one of them slips halfway.

What Are the Alternatives?

But there is an alternative that would make this problem go away. And that alternative solution is having a wheelchair stair lift installed on the stairs. Now this is a solution that is perfect for wheelchair users on those flights of stair that are in a public place where people need to get from a point at the bottom to a point past the top and vice versa.

Of course, the expense would prevent this option being added to every flight of stairs in public places, but then most have alternatives like ramps or elevators, so this is a pretty great solution to only those stairs where no other way up or down exists for wheelchair users.

Something to Keep Hope Alive

When all is really said and done, when you need to gain access to upper floors in any building and you can't climb stairs, an alternative solution needs to be present. Most public buildings have already dressed those needs and of those that haven't yet, most are planning or implementing schemes to make it happen.

In your own home, you don't always have the luxury of having the funds available to make expensive alterations to your upper floor access, but less expensive solutions do exist that you can follow up on and make your home a better place for you to get around in.