Wheelchair Lift

A wheelchair lift is used to lift a wheelchair (with a person in it) up an elevated platform such as a short set of steps or an auditorium. Wheelchair lifts are necessary for public use areas where an elevated platform has to have wheelchair access. Typically, schools and universities will have wheelchair lifts available for use at all times. Senior care and nursing homes can also use a wheelchair lift since many of the inhabitants may use wheelchairs.

There are many types of wheelchair lifts including portable and permanent. New buildings can include a wheelchair lift into the permanent design of the building. However, there are ASME code requirements for wheelchair lifts as safety of operation is the number one concern. Stationary Wheelchair Lifts Wheelchair lifts typically can carry a maximum load between 500lbs to 750lbs. They can lift the wheelchair up between 50 inches and 180 inches. Wheelchair lifts also have a set number of stops or landings. Typically this is around two or three landings total. Stationary wheelchair lifts are used for homes and buildings where the wheelchair lift is designed into the planning of the building. In other words, there won’t be other areas around the home or building where a wheelchair lift is needed other than the planned area. The manufacturer, ThyssenKrupp Access, makes a variety of stationary as well as portable wheelchair lifts.

Portable Wheelchair Lifts
There are several types of portable wheelchair lifts for various particular uses. To move up a vertical platform, there is the standard portable wheelchair lift that functions similar to a stationary wheelchair lift except that it can be moved around. These portable wheelchair lifts typically have a lower weight and height limit. There are many manufacturers of portable wheelchair lifts including Ascension, Handiramp and Adaptive. There are also wheelchair lifts that can lift a person up a flight of stairs outside the home. The manufacturer, Garaventa, claims to have the world’s only inclined platform wheelchair lift. This wheelchair lift is able to help move a person in a wheelchair (with the help of another person pushing) up and down a flight of stairs.

Buying a Wheelchair Lift
There are many choices of wheelchair lifts based on your particular need. Before you buy, you should check to see if the wheelchair lift has been tested by an independent laboratory that complies with the ASME standards. These wheelchair lifts should have a label indicating that they passed inspections. You should also check to see if the wheelchair lift has been ADA approved.