If you are confined to a wheelchair, then you are probably more than well acquainted with the everyday troubles of getting around your home. One of the most best ways for you to get around your home, particularly if you live in a two story house, are chair lifts for stairways. These can sometimes be cumbersome if you are not confined to a wheelchair, but there are a lot of options available on the market these days.
Ramps have been around in some form or another to aid those who have trouble going up stairs for centuries. In fact, King Henry VIII, who was injured as a result of a jousting match, used a chair that was hauled up and down stairs on a block and tackle system by servants at his Whitehall Palace in London. This was of course quite a long time before the invention of the wheelchair.
Some of the most simply installed aids for those who are confined to a wheelchair are ramps. The main purpose of ramps is to permit wheelchair users, as well as people pushing strollers, carts, or other wheeled objects, to more easily access a building. If you are having trouble getting into your home as a result of your wheelchair, then having a simple ramp installed is going to be one of the best and easiest ways to help yourself get into your home. Most contractors in your area will be able to help you out with a pretty cheap and easily installed ramp.
If youa re interested in something a little bit more high tech than a simple ramp, then you might be interested in chair lifts for stairways. In the 1920s, the self taught engineerC.C. Crispen built the first prototype of the stair lift to help an ailing friend get from one floor of the house to another. Though that version of the device was not run on electricity, Most domestic stairlifts are powered from rechargeable batteries and use direct current. Stairway chair lifts have even been adapted to be used in wheelchair accessible vans. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, which is also often referred to as the NHTSA, wheelchair accessible vans with wheelchair lifts must be equipped with a safety lift interlock. This is to ensure that those who are using the lift are safe at all times.
Investing in chair lifts for stairways can be a great way to improve your quality of life at home. Try calling companies in your area to find out if they have any financing options to help fit one into your budget. Continue reading here.