Handicapped Accessible

One of the things you’ll see at the entrance to many public buildings that have stairs leading up to the main entrance is an additional ramp that provides access to the building for wheelchair users. But this is not the only place you’ll see these special handicapped ramps, although you’ll see more in these places than most anywhere else. So let’s take a look at where handicap ramps are needed and why.

Starting off with public buildings, these ramps are mainly seen at the entrance where the entrance is at a higher level than the street, meaning they will have stairs leading up. Most older building will have had ramps retro-fitted following the necessity made heard and understood by people with disabilities for many years. After all, people who need to use wheelchairs also need to visit many public buildings for one reason or another and they don’t want to be stuck waiting at the foot of a flight of stairs for an angel of mercy to come along and hoist them up. A ramp is a much better option and allows access to these building often unaided or with a helper if the user is too weak to push themselves along.

Other places that need ramps are for getting on and off public transportation such as trains, coaches and buses. Mechanical ramps are often deployed in these vehicles to allow wheelchair users access. Same goes for handicap vans for transporting individuals or small groups.

You’ll also see these ramps in public parks and other open spaces alongside steps going from one level to another. Very short ramps are placed at street crossings by the sidewalk to allow wheelchairs to roll smoothly onto the road to cross and back onto the raised sidewalk at the other side without having to stop and force their way up as was what used to happen before town planners got their act together.

So you see these great ramps are everywhere that wheelchair users need to get access without having to bump up or down steps or wait for a helper to carry them, wheelchair and all up and down.

In the home that has more than one floor and an occupant with disabilities, accessing the upper floor or floors can be a real problem thanks to the major obstacle that is the staircase. Now for able bodied folks, this is not an issue and using the stairs is just second nature and something to give no further thought about. But when you include a physically handicapped person into the household mix, then the restrictions become evident.

For this reason, the home stair lift came into existence and is now seen installed in many homes that have stairways leading to upper floors or down into yards and gardens on a lower level to the house.

The residential stair lift is a marvel of simplicity and function. It runs silently on a rail fixed along the length of the stairway and is powered by electricity. Its operation is via a simple lever to go up or to go down or to stop and the seat is as comfortable as any easy chair with padded seat, backrest and armrests on deluxe models.

The chair itself is designed to swivel from its alighting position facing the person who is either wanting to climb or descend the stairs, to a 90 degree position facing across the stairs with the back to the wall for maximum comfort. At either end, top or bottom, when the chair swivels into its getting on or off position, it locks in place to prevent slipping or other accidents from occurring.

All in all, handicap stair lifts are reliable, virtually maintenance free and guaranteed safe and long lasting for the benefit of the user and to allow them to access every part of their home in comfort, without the need for additional; help and with dignity. The stair chair lift is a device that makes truly exceptional additions to a home where one or more occupant requires this kind of ease of accessibility to the upper floors of their home.