New York wheelchair lifts or platform lifts make homes, commercial buildings and even vehicles accessible to wheelchair users. These lifts are designed to ensure that a flight of stairs to a porch, the upper level of a building, or elevated stage do not pose an obstacle to people in wheelchairs. To buy the right wheelchair lift, you need to know about and assess different types of models available in New York.
Different Types of New York Wheelchair Lifts
- Vertical platform lifts: This system travels up and down in a vertical direction, providing access to your porch from the driveway, or from one level of your home to another. These lifts may be unenclosed or enclosed and installed inside a shaftway or hoistway like an elevator. Roll on to the platform, close the door, and push the button, and the lift will transport you to the next level. Savaria’s Multilift is a quality vertical platform lift that comes in various models. It features a self-supporting base and tower structure that contains the mechanical components. A wide variety of safety features ensure safe operation. Outdoor models can withstand the harshest weather conditions.
- Inclined platform lifts: If your home cannot accommodate a vertical wheelchair lift, an inclined platform lift could be the right option. Inclined platform lifts are installed on the stairs and carry the wheelchair and its occupant up and down the rail that follows the path of the stairs. There are models for a straight set of stairs as well as those with curves and bends. Most important, the platform of the lift can be folded away when not in use, leaving the stairway free when it is not in use. Harmar’s Sierra IL500 is among the top incline platform lifts available today.
- Portable wheelchair lifts: As their name indicates, these lifts can be moved from one place to another. They are ideal for providing access to elevated platforms and stages in schools, universities, churches, colleges, auditoriums and historic buildings – both indoors and outdoors. Mobilift Cx from Adaptive Engineering is a quality portable wheelchair lift that can be customized to suit unique needs.
Now that you know about the different types of products, consider your site to choose the right one. Installation is a major factor when setting up a vertical platform lift and current building codes must be followed. That’s why it’s important to choose an experienced supplier of accessibility equipment in New York for purchase as well as customized installation support.