Church Elevators and Lifts – Making Life Easy for Parishioners

Elevator companies in New York are seeing a rise in demand for installation of accessibility equipment in places of worship. Installing an elevator or platform lift in a church improves the mobility of older adults and people with disabilities and helps them attend the services easily.

There are many reports about how access to a church presents a serious obstacle, with parishioners saying that they are unable to attend services because they cannot navigate the stairs in the building. This has led many churches to use their funds to install customized mobility systems to suit the needs of the older members of the congregation and community.

There are different types of accessibility equipment such as elevators, stair lifts and wheelchair lifts, but not all are suitable for installation in a place of worship. Moreover, many states have regulations about the type of mobility system that can be installed in this type of setting. For instance, Iowa and Wisconsin do permit stair lifts in public buildings such as churches and lodge halls in certain situations. Moreover, in most cases, churches want to install a system that would take care of the needs of only those who have disabilities that make it difficult for them to use the stairs.

Given that most churches are low-rise buildings, the ideal option would be either a vertical wheelchair lift or a limited-use limited-access (LULA) elevator. In a building where there is no space for an elevator, a vertical platform lift such as Savaria’s Prolift would be a cost-effective option. With its hydraulic drive, this Prolift features quiet, reliable operation, making it ideal for use in places of worship, schools and other public buildings.

Savaria’s LULA elevator, Orion, is well-suited for use in places of worship and other buildings with up to 3-storys. It comes with the features of a high-rise elevator including automatic sliding doors. It offers ADA-compliant accessibility that meets state and national codes for LULA elevators and ensures a safe and smooth ride. With its advanced features, the Journey from Cambridge Elevating is another reliable choice for churches.

Regardless of a church’s needs, a professional supplier of accessibility equipment in New York would ensure customized installation. Many places of worship have features of special cultural and heritage significance and a reliable dealer would see that these are not compromised when setting up the accessibility device.  They would also be sensitive to the needs and responsibilities that nonprofit groups undertake and provide start-to-end support to see the design through to construction.