Do you know what wheelchair stairlifts are?
Maybe these mechanical
devices are new to you, so to help you understand the definition of a
stairlift for wheelchairs, it is the perfect invention for disabled
people who are wheelchair users and who prefer to stay in their chair
around the house, yet still continue to use the staircase and access
all the other floors.
Installing a personal
elevator or home lift is very convenient for people who are having a
hard time climbing the stairs, but they can be very costly to install
and also may need quite considerable building modifications in order
to fit into the space, or there just may not be enough space to put a
lift shaft. Also to consider, is if the building is listed or has
various changes of levels and outdoor steps, such as in many churches
or private care homes.
The majority of people
that buy a regular stairlift or a chairlift, as they are also known,
are usually older and disabled people and it is bought for
residential use. While the wheelchair stair lift, which can be known
as an incline platform lift, is most often retrofitted in blocks of
apartments, commercial premises or listed or municipal buildings.
It
is often installed so that a hotel can comply with the DDA
(Disability Discrimination Act 1995) to ensure that wheelchair users
can still access all areas, and not have their rights and liberties
overrun or be confined to just the ground floors. For new buildings, the Part M section of the Building Regulations pertains to what is
required to meet accessibility needs, so will always have some kind of
lift access built in.
The cost of a
wheelchair stairlift can vary, but is usually cheaper than a glass or
metal sided commercial lift. For installation, the lift track can be
mounted onto a load bearing wall for support, or if this is not
possible, such as in outdoor ecclesiastical installations, steel
support posts can be drilled into the ground to carry the track.
Predominantly for straight runs of steps it is also possible for
curved platform lifts to be installed, if there are corners on the
staircase. A safety rail comes down over and around the occupants,
and the lift will not move unless it is securely in place. They can
also carry passengers standing as well as the wheelchair, for
instance to allow for a carer to accompany the user into the
building.
You've Parked Too Close!
I'm sure you have heard stories of car park rage where a non-disabled person has parked in an
easy access space at the local supermarket and in doing so prevented
a legitimate wheelchair user from getting their shopping. When that happens
there's a risk of being hit by a car driver, as they have to wheel themselves far away from the store entrance, with the possibility of not being seen between the rows of parked cars. It doesn't bear thinking about.
We can't guarantee that
a disabled space will be empty when you need one, but whenever and
wherever you are parking, the last thing you need as a wheelchair
user is for a car to park too close to you, effectively blocking
access to the boot or side door, which you need for getting in and out with your
chair.
Our friends at
WAV-Compare which is a price comparison website for Wheelchair
Adaptable Vehicles have produced some useful stickers (pictured) to help get the
right message across. We've received a brand new batch and have
some available in the showroom, so just call us or email us to get a
free sticker that will give you more room, and help prompt other
drivers to be considerate when parking near to your vehicle. These
are also useful for customers of ours who might not have a wheel
chair, but find getting our walkers and scooters out of their vehicle difficult if hampered by other road users parking too close.
We have a wide
experience of the whole lifts marketplace for homes, commercial
premises and even vehicle lifts to help you put your scooter or
wheelchair into your car. Also if you need a lift for a care home,
hotel or church then please get in touch and we can put you in
contact with the best providers in the UK.
Please call 0800 007
6959 today.
