There are many different wheelchair lift types for use at home, work, and in vehicles. Independent mobility is a major concern for those with disabilities, mobility restrictions, and their families. In order to have freedom in mobility, a wheelchair lift is necessary in several places to make accessibility easy and quick.
Vertical Lifts
The most common type of vertical lift is the elevator. However, there are other vertical lifts designed specifically for wheelchairs. These generally come in residential, commercial, or portable models and are sized accordingly. Vertical lifts can be platform or chair style, depending on its desired use. Lifts can be used to take mobility restricted and wheelchair dependent persons to another level of the home or office, up or down the stairs, and for loading and unloading commercial transportation systems like trains and airplanes.
Inside Vehicle
One type of wheelchair lift for the vehicle is that mounted inside the vehicle for carrying the wheelchair inside the vehicle. These lifts can be platform style or boom style. The boom style lift picks up the wheelchair and places it in the vehicle for storage during travel. The platform style allows the wheelchair to be driven onto the platform and either stored in the vehicle without the disabled person, or locked into place in the vehicle to allow travel in the wheelchair. Both the boom and platform devices can be mounted in the rear or at the side of most vehicles.
Hitch Mounted
A hitched mounted wheelchair lift is a platform that is locked into the trailer hitch of a vehicle on which the wheelchair is mounted and transported. The platforms come in different sizes to accommodate different sized wheelchairs or scooters, as well as for different vehicle types. Hitch mounted lifts can be used on most any type of vehicle: cars, trucks, SUVs, vans, minivans, and RVs.
Wheelchair lifts range in prices from a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars depending on the type and intended use. In general, the vehicle lifts are less expensive than the vertical lifts. Hitch mounted lifts are the least expensive because they require the least amount of installation and electronics. Portable vertical lifts are generally the most expensive due to their size and portability.
When a mobility lift is necessary, finding the one that best suits the needs of the disabled person can be done by searching the Internet. It's also an excellent place to find the best prices.
