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.

Where is a Stair Lift Needed Most?

There are plenty of situations where a wheelchair user or someone with a physical disability that prevents them from climbing stairs comes face to face with the very thing that prevents them from accessing an area they want to go to. As I already talked about some forms of accessibility options for people with disabilities in previous posts, I want to stay on that subject this time out too, because I think it deserves plenty of discussion.

Stairs are a real problem for many people and often all they can do is sit there and stare at them and wait for a kind person or people to come along and help them climb those stairs.

A Very Viable Solution to the Problem

However, there is an option that is available and is fast becoming a regular sight in many public buildings and places where people need to get from one level to another. This option comes in one form or another but collectively, they are generally known as handicap lifts. These small, personal moving platforms or chairs allow individuals to ride up or down stairs in a variety of ways.

For wheelchair users, there are dedicated wheelchair stair lifts that comprise a horizontal platform onto which the wheelchair is rolled, locked in place and then raised along a fixed rail up or down the stairs. I'll be talking about those specialized accessibility devices in a future post, in a load more detail which should be useful to anyone needing to know more about them.

How Are These Lifts Useful?

For those who don't need a wheelchair but still find climbing stairs difficult, the stair chair lift is an ideal solution which allows the user to ride up or down the stairs on a chair which glides along a rail in a similar manner to the wheelchair lift. These special needs lifts are needed most in places where anyone who needs to get up or down stairs but is restricted through their physical condition.

They are useful for people because it basically gives them access to upper floors in their homes (and public buildings) that they couldn't easily get to by themselves. Imagine living in a house and you could only ever use the ground floor through your inability to climb stairs.

I think that then you'll see how suddenly being able to get up the stairs would seem like a miracle to you!

They are a truly great invention and a dignity saver for countless numbers of happy and grateful people, for sure. So research them all you can because it's worth the extra effort to be prepared in advance before you go window shopping in catalogs for one of your own.

Why We Have Handicap Ramps

We see them all over the place but most of the time they are ignored or never given the slightest second glance, but handicap ramps play a vital role in providing wheelchair users and those who use mobility aids a way of accessing places that they would otherwise be prevented from because of steps that they would be unable to climb. So there are lots of good reasons why we have handicap ramps and here are some thoughts on them.

This article is going to give you some ideas that I am sure will help you a lot. Do you want to know some more? Yes, mobility scooters do use them a lot and many users say they're not going to stop trying in places where they haven't been put yet!

Developing Relationships with Authorities

Many groups have developed distinctive relationships with their local authorities but also it can be tough to do. I heard from them the other day. Fortunately the days of better access are never over. You need to just be good at what you do and be yourself.

There are always folks helping people with handicaps and nobody really knows anything about them except they are kind and really helpful as they help people get over physical limitations and barriers. It is very easy to get started on your path to becoming such a good member of society, trying to help with the long-term solution for handicap mobility that creates a usable scheme.

Ramps and Access

In my own experience I find that access for handicap scooters varies quite a bit, depending on where you are. Many places promote doing this with mobility initiatives so people are generally very happy because we they see action happening about those things soon.

When you see some incredible results, it is a marvelous opportunity for somebody to push out the envelope and get even more accomplished. Now that's something you'll soon see every day and that would work with all kinds of needs.

You can avoid feeling left out by getting involved, if that sentence reads smoothly and also that was a breathtaking idea. This can represent a large savings in time and effort when you have the use of handicap ramps in your town.

Keeping Up the Pressure

Some folks wrote their local authorities with handwritten letters, others used email, but the idea is to keep the pressure up and things will get done. Lastly don't forget to make sure that the follow up is that workers make improvements to your town's handicap mobility facilities.

Handicap ramps don't cure all problems, but they help more than hinder and don't disappoint many people in the end. So next time you see one of those ramps, give it a second glance and spare a thought for those who need them.

Renting a Handicap RV

So you have always liked the idea of taking a vacation where you are free to travel wherever you want simply by hitting the open road and letting the direction you take be dictated by no set plan. In short, practically complete freedom to go wherever you want along the many highways of this great country.

The only problem you can foresee is that you will need a suitable vehicle such as an RV and when you are a person with disabilities, you have to wonder if that is even feasible.

Yes You Can!

How RVs Are Customized for Wheelchair Access

Well, happily it is not just feasible but a reality thanks to the availability of handicapped RVs that are specially adapted to enable wheelchair users to get access via powered ramps and get around inside thanks to wider aisles. Not only that, but you are not limited to being a passenger, as these magnificent vehicles can even be adapted for physically handicapped people to drive themselves, although these are harder to find.

The most common form of customization for wheelchair access in RVs is the inclusion of a motorized wheelchair lift or ramp to enable easy access to the vehicle from the road or sidewalk. To operate, you simply lower the ramp to ground level wheel yourself onto the flat platform, apply locks or brakes (if fitted) and raise the platform to the level of the RV's side entrance.

You then simply wheel yourself in through the entryway and position yourself ready for hitting the road either in a specially fitted locking wheelchair bay so you travel in the chair, or transfer to a special seat with space at the side to make it easy to transfer.

RV Adapted for Wheelchair Users

The next thing you'll notice about an accessible RV is the equipment that is adapted for wheelchair users. This includes ample grab rails in the places you need them, wider access aisles, fully functional handicap bathroom and shower, lower kitchen worktops and units and low level light switches and power sockets for convenience.

So now you know that the right type of vehicle is available to you so that you can live out your dream of a vacation on the open road, stopping over wherever you please and not being restricted to having to find a motel or for that matter pay their prices! There is one last thing nagging you and that is that you don't own one of these great handicap RVs.

Renting is Economically Sound

No problem as you can simply rent one! That's right, instead of spending many thousands of dollars to buy an RV that will end up spending most of the year parked up on your drive, or worse, you having to pay to keep it in special a parking lot because your neighbors don't like to see an RV parked in a drive in their street, you can simple rent one!

Handicap accessible RV rentals are made possible by a network of auto rental companies that specialize in this service. They can have your RV delivered to your home and picked up again when you're finished with it just the same and as easily as renting a car.

So if you are considering handicap RV rental as your solution to what is no longer a logistical problem thanks to this service, the open road really can be your ticket to an adventure into the great outdoors as you ride off into the sunset without a care in the world. For more information, please feel free to browse through the several articles published n this blog dedicated to this service and the pleasurable experiences that can be derived from it.

Renting a wheelchair accessible RV can be a dream come true and all you need to do is either check it out online via this website or get on the phone and you could be planning your next vacation like no other you ever had before. How amazing is that?

Vacationing in a Wheelchair Accessible RV

How would you feel if you were given the choice of taking a very different kind of vacation to those that you have always taken in the past? Would you embrace the idea as a way of breaking out of the rut that you have been restricted to all these years?

Or would you reject the idea because you have grown accustomed to what you have been used to and don’t understand why anyone would want to do anything that might be slightly dangerous or extravagant? Let's tackle these options and look at why you might be interested in breaking free of the "usual thing" and try something a little more exciting.

A More Exciting Vacation Option

Well, if you fall into the first category, then you might be really interested to hear about a really great way to see places you would no normally get the chance to visit on a regular vacation. I'm talking about renting a handicapped modified RV and hitting the open road!

This really is a very cool vacation option for wheelchair users. This is especially so when they have always been used to resort style vacations in places that have all the facilities for people with disabilities but who want to try something more exciting and different.

Not Dangerous

OK, it may not be all that dangerous for the user, but there is the exciting element of taking yourself out of the comfort zone of the special needs vacation resort and trying something a little more off the wall. You can easily rent a handicap RV and pick it up wherever you want your journey to begin and drop it wherever you think it might end.

The major benefit of this type of vacation is that you get to see stuff that you would not get to see any other way. Traveling the road from one place to another opens up small towns and off the beaten path sights that you only get to see in this way.

Getting out into the great outdoors and seeing some of what the United States has to offer is not exactly going to risk your life, but it is going to give you the opportunity to see sights and visit places you might never have seen or visited had you stuck with the comfort safety net of the same old vacation resort for the rest of your life. Think about that one!

Getting Around on Handicap Scooters

I know I've already been over some of the benefits of smaller, lightweight mobility solutions but I wanted to include these great electrically powered handicap scooters as an accessory for taking along on a wheelchair accessible TV on vacation. It's also something to just have a look at the general getting around in them part!

Yeah, there's probably a story in there someplace and why not?

Real Life Story

Well, my aunt loves to go into town on her scooter and she's very fond of zipping along the sidewalk and stopping in every store to chat to the owner for some time. Well, it's not as if she has too much else to do with her time, so she spends it catching up with the local gossip and adding her own into0 the ever flowing mix.

She ends up meeting some friends for coffee in a little coffee bar along the way and on sunny days they all like to sit outside on the wide terrace and talk about just everything under the sun while watching the world go by.

Another of her favorite haunts is the local library in our town. There she can spend a few hours browsing through some reference books on some of the subjects that interest her on the day.

She chops and changes often, so you never know which books she will choose on any particular day. She likes the library as the building is fairly modern and is equipped with a shallow ramp out front for wheelchairs and motorized scooters such as her own.

Inside, access to the upper floors is via a central elevator. They also have a wheelchair lift fitted to the main stairs just in case there is anything wrong with the elevator, so there is always a backup for folks that need that facility.

Once she has bought all her day's knickknacks and her few grocery items, she heads off back home to prepare her dinner. Now this is all made possible because she owns a great little three wheel motorized handicap scooter.

Otherwise she would have to rely on someone to push her in her wheelchair that she uses in her home as she is not strong enough to push herself all the way into town and back again.

So you can see that handicap scooters really improve people’s lives by enabling then to get around, just like my aunt does. And when you're on vacation in an RV, you can leave the vehicle parked up and just use the scooter to get around the place!

Traveling with a Lightweight Wheelchair

When you are in the situation where you need to rely on a wheelchair to get around, a regular model is usually sufficient for most of your needs. But there are some situations where a lighter weight model has huge benefits and as a standby for traveling, really comes into its own.

In fact, it's the highly mobile side of these wheelchairs that is of such interest to me. So it's this aspect of this type of chair that this article will look into.

Regular Models

Most wheelchairs designed for general use are built to be sturdy as they often have to carry the often hefty weight of the occupant as well as be wheeled along often less than smooth sidewalks or along paths that were never originally intended for this mode of transportation. That means the frame is often rigid and of tubular steel which is of necessity fairly robust to be able to bear the burden of its occupant and navigate the terrain they have to traverse.

That's fine for day to day use, as it needs to have a long and useful lifespan. But there are many situations where this high level of sturdiness is not so essential and a lighter framed version can be used to great effect.

Lightness and Portability for Traveling

When traveling, especially by air, a lightweight folding wheelchair is a really useful aid. This is because it can travel with the user on the plane and not take up very much space or overbalance their weight restrictions.

Lightweight rigid wheelchairs are similarly useful when traveling by other mediums such as by train or coach for the same reasons of low storage space requirements and carry-ability. When being transported by road in a suitably adapted vehicle with wheelchair access such as a handicap van or MPV or even a wheelchair accessible RV, the space limitations are not so great, but are still very welcome.

Getting Around in Crowded Areas

This type of chair is also much more maneuverable in places like airports, railway stations and even shopping malls where the flooring tends to be of higher quality and smoother than general sidewalks. There are often large crowds of people to have to navigate around in these kinds of places, so there is another benefit!

Get the Max Benefit

Getting the most from lightweight wheelchairs is possible when they are put to the right uses and in the right situations. These are just about anywhere where the chair is not going to have to be manhandled by helpers up and down stairs or rough steps, or have to be bumped along an uneven sidewalk or track.

However you use yours, you'll be much happier at being able to move yourself around more easily. This is thanks to the lower weight and a helper will also be thankful for the easier load to push around!

Getting Over Physical Limitations and Barriers

When you are limited in your ability to get around because of a physical disability of one kind or another it can get pretty frustrating at times. This is especially so when you see plenty of able bodied people who seem to waste what they have by sitting around all day, eating themselves into the obesity statistics books.

But it's not so much about getting angry with other people as getting smart with yourself and what you can do to make the best of the situation as it affects you personally. This article looks at the ways and means we can adopt to get around the obstacles that may otherwise hamper us in our progress or restrict our movements.

Overcoming Obstacles

There are many ways in which overcoming handicaps can become an obsession and with an amazing amount of determination can become a reality of sorts. We see evidence of this in particular at handicap sports events where athletes have overcome seemingly impossible odds to be able to compete at high levels especially in areas of running or jumping which in the past would have been totally heard of for paraplegics reliant on prosthetic limbs.

You only need to remember the London paralympics in 2012 as an example of what is being achieved.

The latest in technology has produced artificial lower legs that enable runners to achieve impossible speeds through a combination of guts and sheer determination. It is really quite amazing what can be and is being achieved right now in that field.

Climbing Out of the Rut

For the average person who spends life looking in at that fascinating world from the outside, it can bring a lot of new hope where before there was less of it. The future holds possibilities and potential benefits for people with disabilities that we can still only begin to imagine right now.

So when we are sitting at home watching these amazing and truly fascinating sporting events and we're very much aware that we have to view life from a wheelchair, it's important to remember that nothing is impossible no matter how difficult it may seem. With determination, attitude and the need to be more than what a mere physical limitation says we can be, we can achieve much more than we ever believed we could.

Motivating words or just mere pipe dreams being put into words? I like to think they are more like a collection of probabilities that are just waiting to manifest in our lives.

It just takes some imagination and belief in ourselves that whatever we can imagine ourselves doing, we can bring that into our own reality in one way or another.

Vehicle Wheelchair Access Issues

One very big issue for wheelchair users is ease of access into and out of vehicles designed for transporting folks with disabilities and those that have special needs. While the latest models of most vehicles are better constructed and designed to permit very easy access, others and most older models are not so easy to navigate.

It can really get into a big deal when you talk to folks about wheelchair accessibility in transportation because it is an area that frustrates many. This is especially so when a vehicle turns up to take you someplace and the ramp doesn't work properly or the access is so small that it really is uncomfortable getting in and out.

What Can Be Done?

The remedy to these situations is pretty simple, but one that will cost money on the part of the vehicle owner or operator. This is something that pulls a lot of people up short because if it's not a charity run organization, then it will be a private business and they base their business on a budget that extra costs would make unprofitable.

Okay, while you might say that someone shouldn't be making a profit out of people's disabilities, you have to realize that the drivers need to get paid if it's their job; mechanics need to get paid for maintaining and repairing the vehicles and management needs to get paid because it's their job too.

So running a business needs to make a profit, which is fair enough.

The Stumbling Blocks

Renting an RV with wheelchair access for example can work out to be pretty expensive in the long run. So when you start talking a thousand dollars for this improvement or another thousand for that upgrade, the operator's eyes are going to glaze over because that cost translated to a fleet of vehicles could put him out of business! That would not be good for anyone as the people who need the transport would go without, the people who work for the business would be out of a job and everyone loses.

So there has to be a solution where vehicles can be made better without incurring costs great enough to put the future of the business in question. There are solutions, but it takes the involvement of the likes of local authorities or large bodies to fund them.

We can get over handicaps and go back to charities and local community driven fund raising that can help to get vehicles improved and help local transportation businesses stay viable so everyone wins. It just takes some imagination, cooperation and action and it is surprising what can be achieved!

Renting an RV with Wheelchair Access

One of the problems many people with disabilities face is obtaining a wheelchair accessible RV to rent. There used to be several rental companies up and down the country that specialized in this type of rental, but it seems that lately, those that used to provide this service have ceased to do so.

That means at present, renting a specialized RV that will provide for wheelchair access is pretty tough without the availability that we used to rely on being there. But that doesn't mean it is impossible to rent one of these vehicles. Nothing is impossible, right?

What's This About

Welcome to this specialized website that intends to seek out those companies that have availability in this area and publish their details so people can get in touch with them. As it stands, I have no contact information, but I'm sure that will change as I get deeper into this business.

For now, I've got the site up and at least that's a start in the right direction. I'll be providing some space for advertisements just in case there is someone out there that decides to place some ads and the software will pick them up and display them.

Marking Time

In the meantime, I'll be checking out some leads to see what I can find out and report back in this blog. Also, I'll be writing some related articles on the subject so there's something of interest up here to read and provide some information on other aspects of transportation for the wheelchair user that might be helpful.

I guess when you start delving into this subject, it gets pretty big with related topics cropping up as you go. I'll be looking at vans and other smaller transport vehicles, ramps and other accessibility options, wheelchairs, accessories and just about anything else that I can think of that will help to add some usefulness to this site whole keeping it interesting, on topic and as helpful as I can make it.

That's about all for this opening post and the introduction to handicap rv rentals as it stands. Stay tuned and drop in whenever you want to see what's new and interesting!