Among the most important equipment for a disabled person are wheel chair lifts. These are necessary to make it convenient for a physically challenged person to be able to conveniently get around. By being able to move between levels of their home on their own, and regain some measure of independence, life can become much easier for a physically challenged person.  There are many options to choose, and many manufacturers to choose from once you decide what type of equipment is best for your particular situation. Many people need wheel chair lifts for both their home and their vehicle in order to be as independent as possible.

Different Types Of Wheelchair Lifts

Vertical Platform Wheelchair Lifts

Vertical wheel chair lifts work similarly to elevators. You roll your wheelchair onto the platform completely and with a push of the button, elevate yourself and your chair to the next level in your home or building. Much more cost effective than extensive remodeling to install an elevator or relocating to a single story home, vertical wheel chair lifts can be quickly installed and used.  These are often used in public areas where installing an elevator isn’t possible, but it’s still necessary to make a building handicapped accessible. Finding this equipment pre-owned can slash a lot off of the cost, but try to find it locally as the shipping costs can offset the savings otherwise. Delivery charges are usually fairly low, and sometimes you can even fit most of the parts into your personal van or truck. Also ask around for recommendations for a reputable local contractor to do the installation for you professionally.

Outdoor Wheelchair Lifts

More homeowners are opting for installation of wheelchair lifts outside of the home instead of wheelchair ramps, for the following reasons:

• They take up less surface space.
• Are often more visually pleasing. Adding vertical wheel chair lifts to your home or building instantly creates a more welcoming greeting to people with limited mobility. Newer options allow the wheelchair stair lift to blend better with the house or building décor, and also make the equipment more efficient.
•  The equipment has become sleeker and lighter over the years, while still providing powerful mobility assistance for people who need it. Most of the vertical platform lifts are strong and sturdy, able to lift at least 600 pounds easily.

Some lifts are made specifically for exterior use, such as the Porch-Lift series by ThyssenKrupp, for example. These will help you hurdle those obstacles with a simple push of a button- whether it’s a single step or several floors. Many of the exterior models are made to leave a smaller footprint, a low profile, and a quiet ride, and to help make commercial buildings ADA compliant.

Portable Lifts

There are models that can easily be customized to meet any unique challenges in accessibility to the home or building, and there are also portable models which merely need to be rolled into place and plugged in. These are ideal when the need for temporary access is needed, as when someone of limited mobility comes to visit, or during a rehab period that requires the use of a wheelchair for a period of time. Some of the lifts are adaptable for either indoor or outdoor use, and can also be used to provide access to balconies or building entrances.

Chair stair lift

There are a number of options available as well when it comes to negotiating steps inside your home. One option is a chair stair lift, which is basically a seat attached to a rail on the wall, and it glides you up and down the steps. This is a good option for someone who still has some mobility and does not need to constantly be in a wheelchair.  This type is excellent for those who are not completely disabled, and is also good for those who have some difficulty negotiating stairs.

Incline Platform Lift

A third option is an incline platform lift, which works much like a chair stair lift since it also glides on a rail attached to the wall. This one, however, takes wheelchair and passenger together from one level to the next.

Most incline style wheelchair lifts provide ADA approved access for people with limited mobility or those confined to a wheelchair. They can typically be designed to be used for straight, radiating, or turning staircases, whether or not they have landings, and a number of stops are possible for each configuration. Often, they are suitable for both interior and exterior use, and they can be customized to fit almost any stairway, making them an ideal solution for historical buildings, as the lift is fitted to the space, instead of the other way around. Normally this type of lift fits easily into most stairways and doesn’t require an excessive amount of space. An incline style wheelchair platform lift can be stored in the upright position either on the stairway, where it will take up less than a foot of space, or away from the stairway altogether.

Safety Features

Safety features are built into all of the wheelchair lifts, though of course caution is to be used when operating the lifts, especially platform wheelchair lifts which operate in a bigger space. Of course, as with any type of machinery, special care is necessary when small children are around.Some of these safety features include:

• There are special doors and gates that can be added to the wheelchair lifts that add to the safety, and can give you additional peace of mind.
• Remote controls that can be configured with key access or not, as you prefer.

Vertical wheel chair lifts are also called vertical lifts or vertical platform lifts. Another thing that almost all of these vertical lifts have in common is that they use a screw drive mechanism for strength, durability, and stability in the ride. Though they only move about eight to ten feet per minute typically, they move physically challenged people between levels in a much more dignified and hassle-free way than is possible when attempting to negotiate ramps or stairs.

Well Known Wheelchair Lift Manufacturers

Bruno

One highly respected manufacturer of wheelchair lifts and other mobility equipment is Bruno. This company has been around since 1984, is ISO 9001 certified, and makes high quality products, from stair lifts (including wheelchair stair lifts) to vehicle lifts and other assistive automotive products. They have scooter and power chair lifts in their product mix, and can easily equip most vehicles, from cars, pickup trucks, full-size vans, to minivans and SUVs with mobility equipment to help increase independence for a disabled person. Bruno also has a long relationship with auto makers around the world, so they also have the knowledge it takes to equip most any company’s vehicle readily. If you are thinking on installing a SUV wheelchair lift then you should take a look at what Bruno has to offer.

Welland

The Welland portable wheel chair lift can be used with a van or SUV, but it can also be used for other areas where you need to lift the wheelchair and rider, such as from one level of the home to another. It also comes in handy in schools and commercial buildings which have not yet complied with ADA guidelines. This type of portable lift might be the best choice if the raised floor is only a few feet higher than the ground floor. This type of lift is very often used for lifting a wheelchair and rider from the ground to the interior of a van and vice versa, and they are often manually operated, so electricity isn’t necessary. They are also lightweight, making them among the most portable type of lifts available and thus perfect as a SUV wheelchair lift.

Used wheelchair lifts

When searching for mobility equipment, it is often possible to save a lot of money by buying used wheel chair lifts. Also keep your options open, and consider something different than what you had originally. As you check into equipment and look at features of the different types of wheel chair lifts, you might find a piece of equipment that will fit your needs even better than the original type you had decided upon.  One could for instance find vans with used wheelchair lifts. People who work with this type of equipment on a daily basis are often a wealth of information and can help point you in the direction of the equipment which will best suit your needs.
Buying a van that will help transport your wheelchair, and to which you can install used wheelchair lifts, is often a necessary transition. The lifts can be either manual or power lifts, and generally manual lifts can be installed by the owner. It will take some mechanical knowledge and probably two strong people to complete the installation, but it will save a lot on the cost of professional installation. If you are able to purchase good quality and properly maintained used wheelchair lifts, you can save an even greater amount of money and still equip your van to easily transport a wheelchair. Often pre-owned vehicles with used wheelchair lifts can be an affordable alternative for a physically challenged person to regain a great deal of their previous mobility.

These types of vehicles are often sold or traded in to a mobility company, so they will go over the equipment and be sure that it’s reconditioned before selling it to another customer. Mobility companies will also retrofit vans and RV’s with used wheelchair lifts for even greater cost savings for the customer. Vans and RV’s can certainly be purchased new and mobility equipment can be added to the purchase. However, many people do not have the financial means to afford these vehicles, which can often start in the $70-80,000 range and go much higher. To be fair, manufacturers do offer mobility assistance rebates to help offset the cost of adaptive equipment, though the amounts are generally small. More often than not, finding a good used vehicle, either with or without the mobility equipment already added, is the best way to find a practical and affordable solution to the mobility problem.

Explore these questions before making up your mind.

• What size vehicle do you need?
• Should you buy new or reconditioned?
• How do you plan to use the vehicle?
• What type of mobility equipment is needed, including any installation cost fees?
• Should you buy a new wheelchair lift or find high quality used wheelchair lifts?

Size

There are lots of vans for sale in all price ranges. Important consideration needs to be given to the size that you will need for your wheelchair. Perhaps a minivan will be large enough to accommodate the chair and the added wheelchair lift, but sometimes a larger van is required.

New or Reconditioned

Another important consideration is cost. Decide how much you can afford to spend on your vehicle, so that you can stay in, or close to, that range when looking for a van.

Use of  the Vehicle

Consider how you will use the vehicle. Will you be making long road trips in it, or will it be for local use only. Longer trips will require a more comfortable vehicle, and also one that is in tip-top shape mechanically. For local use, a basic model that’s been adequately maintained should do the trick and also save you a considerable amount of money.

Type of mobility equipment

Have in mind what type of wheelchair lift you need before you purchase any used vans with an eye toward retrofitting it. Power models will take up considerably more room in the vehicle, leaving some models with inadequate clearance to load your electric wheelchair. When pricing vehicles and used wheelchair lifts, you will want to keep installation cost in mind if you are going with a power lift. These will need to be installed by an expert who can run the wiring directly to your van’s battery, and also drill the holes needed to install the lift into the van.  Most often, your local mechanic has the tools and knowledge to be able to install the equipment into your van for you.

Buying a new lift will have the benefit of supplying all the parts and instructions needed to fit it to your vehicle. A disadvantage to purchasing a used lift and having it installed outside of a mobility company is that you will most likely need to learn how to operate it yourself. Luckily, this can be done fairly easily by reading the owner’s manuals and possibly information about your particular model, such as a vertical wheelchair lift, which you can find online. Most mobility companies have excellent customer service departments as well, and can answer questions that you might have about the lift and operations.

Two Types of  Wheelchair lifts for vans

When it comes to wheelchair lifts which are designed to be used in vans and RV’s, there are types to be used when the chair is unoccupied, and also when it is occupied. It is a very personal choice which type you want, and what you require based on your physical challenges.

Unoccupied lifts

Unoccupied lifts are mainly used for power or electric wheelchairs and scooters, which can be quite heavy. There are swing arm styles that use a mechanical arm that’s attached to the van or RV, and the lift raises and lowers it by using an electric motor which is hooked directly into the RV or van’s battery. These wheelchair swing arm RV’s make transporting a wheelchair a breeze. Platform style lifts are made so that you can drive your wheelchair or scooter onto it while it is on the ground. A push button raises the wheelchair platform lift and deposits the vehicle inside, or secures it on the outside of the vehicle, depending on the model. When the destination is reached, another push of the button lowers the chair to the ground and you’re off! The Hamar brand makes quality platform lifts. These lifts are easily installed and very easy to operate.

Occupied Lifts

Occupied lifts are much sturdier, meant to pick both wheelchair and rider up easily. There are a few different types- most common is the standard dual-post lift, which has two hydraulic arms and a sturdy platform. This type is known for its strength and stability. Dual post split platform lifts are just as strong but designed so that they don’t hinder the visibility of the driver through the entry door of the vehicle. A single-post split-platform lift, uses a platform that folds or splits when it is stowed away to give easy access to the entryway, so that others can enter and exit easily. Under-vehicle lifts mount on the outside of the van or RV, under the frame of a full-size van or RV, and almost always on the passenger side. This type of lift doesn’t take any area away from the interior space or change any of the vehicle configurations.

Conclusion

It isn’t necessary to spend upwards of $40,000 to buy and equip a van for transporting your wheelchair. There are many more cost-effective options available now than ever before, and it seems that they are improving all the time. Finding a nice, serviceable used van with adequate room to install used wheelchair lifts can be done at a fraction of the cost of new if you know what to look for.