One of the most frustrating obstacles for a wheelchair user has to be a flight of stairs that can only be negotiated by either being manhandled by helpers or in a dignified fashion upon a wheelchair stair lift. Unfortunately, most staircases do not have the latter feature installed, mainly because the cost would be prohibitive and not all stairways are suitable.
Despite this, more and more people with disabilities that are reliant on a wheelchair for mobility are having just such a device installed in their homes where there is an upper floor that they wish to get access to.
Lets take a look at some of the benefits of having a wheelchair stair lift (see: http://disabilityviews.com for more info) installed in your home and how they help people to get around their homes where without one, the upper floor of their home is mostly off limits without human assistance.
How does it work?
The wheelchair stair lift works in a fairly simple manner, in may way similar to that of a stair chair lift, as outlined in a previous post on this blog. The unit comprises a flat, horizontal base that the wheelchair is rolled onto and locked in place. This base is attached to a steel or aluminum rail that runs the length of the stairway which it runs along on wheels or rollers and is pulled up and down along the rail using an electrically powered motor and a belt or chain mechanism.
The base itself can be raised into a vertical position when not in use so that other people can use the stairs freely. When needed for use, the base is lowered into the horizontal position mechanically, so that the wheelchair user can roll onto it and lock the chair in place so that it does not move during ascent or descent.
The base then swivels 90 degrees so that the wheelchair has its back to the wall as this is preferred as the most comfortable way to ride up or down the stairs. When it reaches the top (or the bottom, depending on whether the user is ascending or descending) the base swivels a further 90 degrees to allow the user to roll off in the direction of the hall or landing.
The benefits are obvious in that this device allows the user to gain egress to all parts of their home, and not just the rooms on the ground floor that without one, would be the case unless they had a person there to help them. This not only allows them access to upper floors, but allows them to get around in a dignified manner and not to be reliant on human help for what should be a basic need.
The cost of buying and installing a wheel chair lift on your stairway can be quite expensive, so you may need to investigate whether there are local charitable organizations that can assist with the cost, or maybe there are local government grants available for people with disabilities.
At the end of the day, these devices are all about providing the user with dignified accessibility to all of their home in a comfortable manner and to be able to get to where they want to get when they want to get there!
Handicap Ramps
