In small buildings and residences where elevators are not present, wheelchair lifts are installed for use by handicapped or disabled persons on wheelchairs. They make it easier for the handicapped to move through different floors of the building. These are available in various sizes, shapes and weights. When buying a wheel chair lift, it is important to decide what kind of lift should be chosen depending on the décor and space available in the building.
Different Kinds of Wheelchair Lifts
They are available in two models, hydraulic and electric powered lifts.
Hydraulic Wheel chair Lifts – These operate using fluids and are there smooth and silent. They have the ability to adjust to sudden changes in speed or surface levels. They are safe and quite reliable, and there is no need to worry about power outages. However, these are very expensive.
Electric Wheel chair Lifts – These operate on electricity and have emergency back up battery for use during power outages. These are cheaper than hydraulic wheel chair lifts.
Depending on what the users need to access, wheel chair lifts are of two types ie van lifts and stair lifts both of which are hydraulic or electric powered. Wheelchair van lifts make it possible to step into vans without any difficulty whereas wheelchair stairlifts are used to move up and down on different floors of a building. The most common wheelchair lifts are vertical, portable and wheelchair platform lifts.
What to Note before buying
When buying a wheel chair stairlift for long term purpose, it is crucial to buy from trusted and reliable brands or a company that will provide quality products and after sales services. One should take into consideration whether the lift is for indoor or outdoor use, the size and type of wheelchairs, kind of surfaces, home or office use etc. These accessibility devices should be purchased wisely, keeping in mind the comfort level and needs of the users.