Changes Caused by Wheelchair Lifts

By: Sammy Turner

Only a decade or so ago the high street and shopping centres were impossible for those in wheelchairs to access. A lack of ramps, unhelpful or unaware staff all made for obstacles that were hard if not completely impossible to surpass, however, an effort by shop owners, a variety of support groups and ongoing efforts from government has seen a great uptake in wheelchair lifts and other solutions. The result of this fantastic effort has been a transformation of the landscape for wheelchair users and the opening up of a raft of new opportunities. For example, through the use of specialised wheelchair lifts, disabled customers may now access second or third floors of stores, which previously would have remained unreachable. Moreover, the often troublesome burden of stairs into shops have been removed by the inclusion of stair lift type wheelchair lifts.
Improvements have also been seen in the workplace. Office spaces with many flights of stairs and different levels within floors were typically very difficult for the wheelchair bound but now most high office blocks have wheelchair lifts, ramps and employees with special responsibility for providing access. Together all these changes are allowing disabled people back into the workplace and genuinely creating equal opportunities.
Wheelchair lifts have also made tremendous improvements in the home. From their inception the lifts have offered a great alternative to stairs but until recently the cost of these pieces of equipment was inhibitive to most. Now, thanks to ongoing reductions in cost alongside support from charities and the government the costs have dropped and those in wheelchairs are beginning to have lifts installed which are meaning that they are no longer totally dependent upon carers. A similar benefit has been felt in retirement homes and hospices where the elderly and patients have been able to gain new independence and also reduce the load placed upon staff so that they may be left to do other more useful tasks.
Cars have also seen a marked improvement thanks to the lifts that can now be fitted into vehicles of all shapes and sizes, granting the disabled a fantastic range of choice and independence once again. Of course this is only possible thanks to advances in car design for the disabled with alternate controls being able to be fitted on a large number of vehicles, but for those who use the vehicles, the hows and whys don't really matter, many are just grateful for the new lease of life they have received.
Change in the lives of those living in wheelchairs therefore has pervaded into many different parts of life; from shopping to work and from driving to the home. Such change must be warmly welcomed and is thanks in a large part to the wheelchair lifts, in all of their various forms.

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Commonly, wheelchair lifts will be used to help increase safety. In many ways they are more versatile than the stair lift, because they can be used by people in wheelchairs.

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