Posted July 29, 2013
When you think of handicap-accessible homes and facilities the first thing that often comes to mind are ramps. Ramps are an important part of the accessibility landscape, but they often require a lot of room. The higher the entrance the bigger the ramps have to be. Many individuals with smaller spaces to work with should consider residential wheelchair lifts. This is a type of vertical platform lift that takes up a minimum of space, as little as 36' x 48'.
Imagine that you have a small yard, or that because of the landscaping or layout there is effectively little room outside of the building to work with. Where you would struggle to fit an adequately sized ramp (if you could get one to fit at all) a residential wheelchair lift would be able to slide in and provide a quick and easy to use option. They are also an excellent option for backyards with raised doors and/or decks.
There are many things that need to change in order to make a home fully wheelchair accessible, but a ramp is not required. In many cases, neither is re-landscaping or altering decks and other outside features. A residential wheelchair lift allows you to continue to enjoy these things without the hassle and cost of remodeling them. Lifts typically come partially assembled to streamline to installation process, and once completely set up they can be operated by a single person. There is less to maintain/clean off when it snows, and the lifts themselves are extremely safe thanks to an array of sensors, emergency off switch, and a backup power source. A residential wheelchair lift is an ideal way to preserve your way of life while ensuring that your home is fully accessible.
