Chair lift

Statistics show that there are more than 1.6 million people in the United States who are on wheelchairs. If you have been using a wheelchair, perhaps you can relate to so many persons who find it difficult to move around their own home. Mobility and transferring from one place to another can be among the biggest challenges faced by persons on wheelchairs, which is why there are many products made today to cater to these growing needs.

The chair lift, also known as the stair lift, is one of the most practical solutions for persons on wheelchairs. According to many sources, there are over 100,000 homes across the nation with chair lifts today, indicating the efficiency of use and the high demand for these devices. It was even estimated that every year, the number of chair lifts installed in the US will increase by 10%.

What is a chair lift, anyway? If you can picture yourself riding an elevator when you go up and down a high rise building, a chair lift works in a similar way. The difference is that these machines are installed onto the steps of staircases, so that persons with disabilities can easily and safely ascend or descend. A chair or carriage is mounted onto a railway or track, and by use of a motor, the chair glides across the track as it moves up and down the stairs.

The very first chair lifts made in the US were attributed to the Inclinator Company of America which was founded in the 1920’s. The company’s founder, C. C. Crespen, was an engineer who designed a chair that can move up and down the staircase to assist his disabled friend. During the 1920’s to the 1930’s, majority of patients on wheelchairs had polio, and this really called for the need to have devices like chair lifts to aid them. Today, many variations of the basic chair lift can now be found, each with special features that aim to make mobility for wheelchair users convenient and comfortable.

Chair lifts today are very easy to install, and do not require major changes to the structure of the staircase or hallway. The carriage, or chair on the lift, is also designed with foot rests, arm rests, head rest, as well as a seatbelt to make transferring from one floor to another both comfortable and safe for the user. There are models of chair lifts that are powered by electricity, or even batteries so that they can be used in case power is unavailable. The user can control the chair lift by means of buttons on either end of the stairs, a joystick, or a remote control, as some models carry.

Aside from the home, the chair lift can now be found in many restaurants, offices, hospitals, and other public establishments. You can inquire with dealers about chair lift models that are right for you. These devices have definitely made moving from one place to another convenient for wheelchair users. Never again will you have to face the challenge of moving around your own home, thanks to these chair lifts.