Increasing wheelchair access in homes and at your workplace can be quite a difficult task, not to mention an expensive one. Constructing ramps and installing elevators can be an option but may not always be possible due to tight spaces, budget constraints, and the permanent nature of the job. But with vertical wheelchair lifts, you can overcome most of these problems and increase wheelchair access at the same time.

Vertical wheelchair lifts are platform lifts that rise vertically so as to give you access to higher floors and raised surfaces. The wheelchair goes on the platform of the lift and when started, both the wheelchair and its occupant are lifted.

Vertical wheelchair Lift Types

Fully Enclosed Vertical Wheelchair Lifts: These chair lifts are enclosed on all four sides, with gates or doors on one side for entry and exit. These are generally not covered from the top but can be fitted with domes if you wish to install the lift on the outside. The fully enclosed vertical lift runs up and down the lift shaft and can be raised to heights of as much as 12 feet. Most enclosed vertical wheelchair lifts offer you 5-7 lifting heights and are designed to have multiple stops along the way to the top.

Unenclosed Vertical Wheelchair Lifts: These are not enclosed but only have a platform that rises vertically. However, safety bars and rails on the platform ensure that such lifts are safe for use. Due to the unenclosed nature, they do not reach heights as high as 12 feet but are generally designed to attain heights of 4-5 feet.

Vertical wheelchair lifts, both the enclosed and unenclosed types, can be installed inside your home as well as on the outside of a building. Such lifts are perfect for gaining wheelchair access to higher floors in homes, offices, and schools. They can also be used in churches and auditoriums to gain entry to raised platforms, stages, etc.