Accidents happen, diseases strike, and then sometimes it’s simply a question of age. Whatever the cause, some of us are unable to navigate a staircase on our own. We just have to wait for someone to come along to assist us navigate the stairs. If there’s no one around then we’re practically tied to that single floor of the building. Even if someone is around, we often feel hesitant to disturb them every now and again. The wheelchair stair lift comes as a godsend for people like us. They score over regular elevators because they cost so much less and they require so much less structural change in the building.

The wheelchair stair lift is a motor-driven platform that moves up and down stairs. A person seated in a wheelchair can wheel himself onto and off it very easily. The wheelchair locks in place and the wheelchair stair lift moves to the next floor. All this is done unassisted, giving the person back the freedom he lost. It uses the existing stairway without obstructing its normal use. It does not demand any sort of structural change to the building. It is the simplest, the cheapest and the best form of inter-floor transportation.

What does a wheelchair stair lift cost? The cost depends on whether the stairway is straight or curved. A wheelchair stair lift costs less than $5000 for a straight stairway, with a commonplace 12-foot floor-to-floor clearance. The curved stairways are more complex to cost because the type of wheelchair stair lift also comes into play. The contractor will have to do a physical inspection of the stairway before quoting the cost. A ballpark figure ranges from $5000 all the way to $25000.

All modern wheelchair stair lifts are driven by electric motors, which can be light-duty for individual use or heavy-duty for institutional use, and mains powered or battery powered. There are four types of drives that are commonly found on wheelchair stair lifts. The most popular one for individual use in a residential environment is the rack-and-pinion drive system.

A cable-winched wheelchair stair lift uses a strong steel cable to move the wheelchair stair lift up and down the stairway. This tends to be a little jerky, but improvements are expected soon.

Wheelchair stair lifts meant for heavy-duty use in institutions like hospitals use a chain drive. They are generally too noisy for residential operation.

The fourth type of wheelchair stair lift uses an Archimedean screw to traverse the floors. This type of wheelchair stair lift is powered by its own battery which can be recharged. This too is a heavy duty system which is used in large institutes and not so much in residential environments.

Most wheelchair stair lifts found in residential environments for individual use are of the rack-and-pinion type. These are reliable, maintenance-free, and quiet. The platform is mounted on pinions which engage racks set into the walls on either side of the stairway.

A variation of the rack-and-pinion system uses a rail or track on the staircase itself, instead of a rack on the wall. The chair carriage rolls along these rails.

Wheelchair stair lifts may be powered from the mains power supply or they may be powered by batteries. These batteries are of the rechargeable kind. Battery operated wheelchair stair lifts are increasingly in vogue. Using batteries eliminates the need to lay high voltage electric cabling. Secondly, they are proof against power outages which may occur in storms. The installation of wheelchair stair lifts is regulated by law in most states. So the requisite official formalities have to be completed when installing a wheelchair stair lift.

Most users feel uneasy when descending stairs facing forward. It makes them dizzy, almost a mild form of vertigo. So most wheelchair stair lifts allow the chair to be turned sideways and some even all the way around. This eliminates the queasiness of looking down from a height, from what feels like an insecure position. Modern wheelchair stair lifts are so advanced that they have computerized systems to check themselves and give advance warning of maintenance requirements before problems arise.

The modern wheelchair stair lift is safe, reliable, maintenance-free, and affordable. People with any form of disability which prevents them from navigating stairways on their own, can avail themselves of this marvel of modern technology and regain their lost freedom. But they’d better not knock their cigar ash on the carpet!

There are plenty of additional ways to increase the mobility of those confined to a wheel chair. Visit www.WheelchairLiftsOnline.com to get information on wheel chair ramps, and also find out what features you should consider when searching for the best lift chair for your situation.