In this post, I want to take a look at the wheelchair stair lift, which is a similar device to the regular stair chair lift but designed for use by wheelchair users in particular. While this type of stair lift is more specifically sized to accommodate a wheelchair, it can be used by anyone needing the services of a stairlift.
The wheelchair stair lift then works on the same principal as the stairway chair lift in that there is a base unit where the user sits in their wheelchair, a rail that rides along the stair risers and a mechanical device for moving the base unit up and down the stairs.
The wider base unit has a flat base that a wheelchair can easily be wheeled onto when in its resting position at the bottom (or top) of the staircase. Some have a swivel base that allows the wheelchair to be backed onto it and then it swivels 90 degrees so the user rides up or down the stairs with their back to the wall, which is a more comfortable way of going rather than backwards. When you get to the top of the stairs, the unit then swivels so that you simply wheel off in a forward direction, which is the most natural and comfortable way.
The swivel base unit always locks in position when ready to accept the wheelchair at the top or bottom of the stairs, then again when it is in its riding position, so there is no chance the user can move about once the unit is in motion, or when the user is getting on or off.
Installation of the wheelchair stair lift should always be carried out by professional installers otherwise the manufacturer’s warranty may be invalidated by an unqualified person carrying out installation. Professional installers know what they are doing and their work will be guaranteed by the manufacturer as well as be in compliance with your home insurance.
This knowledge is liberating and the very least a person with disabilities should come to expect from a life with the tools and devices that are available today. The use that a wheelchair user will get out of this device is truly freedom making where before they would have been restricted to the ground floor of their home. But with a good quality wheelchair stair lift installed they now have access to all of their home that they can enjoy in the manner that they always should.