Installing Wheelchair Incline Lifts?
- Wheelchair incline lifts provide a practical solution for facilitating disabled access to office buildings, churches, banks, schools or public buildings. Traversing steps is a big obstacle to the independent living capacity of disabled people. Incline lifts are attached to a the side of a staircase. Disabled people can easily go up and down the steps with minimal help. If the stairs are wide enough, there are lifts available that can take you between the floors of your house. Obviously, these cost much more than smaller lifts, but could make a considerable difference to your life if you have the space for one in your home.
- Incline wheelchair lifts are mounted on a load bearing wall. When the platform lift is at bottom of stairs space necessary is approximately 6-7 ft. The lifts have a load bearing capacity of almost 500 pounds. Incline lifts are generally not very popular these days. They are a great option if elevators cannot be installed for some reason. This type of lift is limited for a number of reasons.
- Requirements are:
-
1) A load bearing wall
2) Sufficient head room
3) A straight set of stairs
4) Enough space at the bottom of the stairs (about 6') to allow the platform to land
5) A 36"-wide stairway
- Another choice to consider, if the person requiring the lift can transfer himself from his wheelchair to the seat of another chair, is a stair lift. These lifts are designed to transport just people, not their wheelchairs, but can be a much less expensive option.