When you get that long-overdue promotion, what do you do? You take the stairs two at a time! But there are a number of people who just can’t take the stairs at all. Unassisted, that is. If they happen to live in a multi-floor accommodation, then their woes are multiplied many times over. They may even consider moving to a single-floor accommodation just to avoid navigating stairways. Of all the means available to traverse stairs, the wheelchair stair lift is the most affordable and the simplest to install.

The wheelchair stair lift is the most affordable device to navigate between floors. It is installed with the existing stairway. It does not require a separate well, nor does it obstruct the normal stairway usage.

Cost being the prime operative factor to consider when planning to install a wheelchair stair lift, let’s do a little costing here. If the stairway is straight then the installation bill will be less than $5000. For a curved stairway, a site inspection needs to be done by the installation contractor who’ll prepare a quote for the installation. The cost could go up to $20,000 depending on the complexity involved, both in the nature of the curvature as well as the actual wheelchair stair lift that has to be installed.

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.

Some wheelchair stair lifts are drawn up and down by a strong cable system. There is just a small tendency for such wheelchair stair lifts to jerk a little when they start, and sometimes even when they stop, which can be unnerving for some people. Their main advantage is their silent, maintenance-free operation.

Chain driven wheelchair stair lifts are meant for heavy duty use, but their noise is a definite vote against in residential environments.

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.

The rack-and-pinion wheelchair stair lift is the best type by far. It is the cheapest to install, requires no maintenance, and is emits very little noise. It is driven by a set of rotating pinion wheels which engage wall-mounted racks on both sides of the stairs.

A variation on the theme is the wheelchair stair lift that runs on tracks that are laid along the run of the stairs, on either side.

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.

In short, the wheelchair stair lift is the best way for people with special needs for traversing stairs to do so on their own. The most appealing feature of a wheelchair stair lift is that it does not require any sort of building work. They are absolutely safe and reliable. The wheelchair stair lift is without doubt a godsend for anyone who cannot use the stairs on his own.