Conquering the Stairs in a Vertical Platform Lift

People who rely on wheelchairs or mobility scooters to get around are often faced with many obstacles when away from the home. Perhaps the largest obstacle is the stairs. If you area a business owner, then you are required by the American with Disabilities Act of 1990 to make certain that your building is accessible to those who are mobility challenged.

There are many ways to make certain that your business is accessible to people. If you have a set of steps leading to your business then you are obliged to provide wheelchair access to your building. While most buildings today are designed to be accessible, many built before the 90's are not as mobility friendly.

To help make your building more accessible, a vertical platform lift is often the best, easiest, and least expensive way to allow full access. A vertical platform lift, or wheelchair lift, is basically a self contained elevator that is designed to lift a person in a wheelchair or scooter across areas of different elevation. Unlike a traditional elevator though, the cost of purchasing and installing a vertical platform lift is much lower and does not require extensive construction.

If you intend to install a commercial vertical platform lift setting it is important to consult your local building codes, because in many states they fall into the elevator category. It is also imperative that you buy a unit with keyed access so you can lock it when not in use. There are several other safety features, such as upgraded door systems, that you should also make certain that you lift has.

Installing a vertical platform lift is often the easiest and least expensive way to ensure that your business is ADA compliant. Most often they can be installed much quicker and with less construction than a ramp system would be and they are always less expensive than a full sized elevator would be.