Step Stair Lift

What is a Step Lift?

Step lifts are small and elegant personal lifts designed for wheelchair or mobility scooter users to navigate small internal and external staircases more easily. These lifts prevent the user from needing to change seats or remove themselves from their chair in any way.

Wheelchair step lifts are often a simple, small platform, wide and long enough to accommodate a wheelchair or mobility scooter depending on your needs, which can safely lift or lower an individual up to one metre.

Step lifts travel within their own fully enclosed structure and are securely fixed to a wall, door, or floor level, removing the need for costly building or conversion works.

These types of access solutions are excellent for front or back gardens that have a step between the paved and garden areas, or for extensions or doorways where the floor level changes.

Step lifts can also be used by businesses to provide additional accessibility options to their customers. These lifts are set to the side of staircases which means they take up less room and provide a more convenient approach than other alternatives, like access ramps.

 

How Much Space Does a Step lift Need?

Step lifts take up a small space on the lower level of the drop or staircase you are trying to navigate, usually about 1.5 metres long and less than a metre wide. Your lift will be installed next to or near the staircase in question, meaning different people can use both options at the same time.

Our step lifts are chosen and installed to best fit the personal movement solution you have, so allow enough room for that and a little bit more at each end, to gauge roughly how big your personal step lift will be.

We work very closely with each of our customers to provide only the most suitable step lifts for their situation and property, dedicating plenty of time during both the sourcing and installation phases to ensure the final product is unobtrusive and aesthetically pleasing.

We will also guarantee during installation that your new step lift for wheelchair use will be installed in safe, easy to reach locations to ensure minimal disruption on your day-to-day life.

 

What’s the Weight Limit For a Step Lift?

A step lift for home use from Able Access will be able to carry up to 280kg safely between two floors that are up to 1 metre apart.

That makes these lifts practical for both wheelchair and mobility scooter users, with the average manual wheelchair weighing around 14kg, and the average mobility scooter weighing about 25kg.

These weights can vary, and we highly recommend that you check the weight of your particular model with the manufacturer.

 

What’s the Difference Between Indoor and Outdoor Step Lifts?

The functions of step lifts in and out of the house are exactly the same, though there are some subtle differences when it comes to design and more depending on where the lift is to be used.

An outdoor wheelchair lift will be made with waterproof and water-resistant materials to ensure that there is no wear and tear or damage caused by inclement weather. This guarantees that you can use your lift year-round and are never restricted from accessing any part of your home. This is especially important if you have a lift that is required to access your front door.

Indoor lifts are designed to fit more into your aesthetic style and thus may not be waterproof or weather resistant to the same level, purely as they don’t need to be. This helps the lifts be more visually pleasing and blend into your décor.

 

What’s the Difference Between a Step Lift and a Stair Lift?

The key difference between step lifts and stair lifts is in the name. A step lift is designed to lift an individual up a few steps that would otherwise be impossible with their mobility solution, while a stair lift is designed to carry a person up a full flight of stairs.

A stair lift is designed to take an individual the entire way up a full staircase, usually referencing those inside a home. Stair lifts are typically a chair attached to a mechanical rail, which require the user to leave their personal mobility device and sit in the stair lift independently.

Stair lifts can be set on a straight or curved rail, providing the user with a handy way to ascend both curved and straight staircases. Step lifts, on the other hand, look more like a lift you might find in a supermarket or shopping centre, lifting the user horizontally on a flat platform.

 

Can You Install Wheelchair Step Lifts?

The short answer is yes!

The Able Access team are proud to offer comprehensive step lift installation process, both inside and outside your home. Our staff will work closely with you to determine the right step lift for your needs, mark out where it should go, and guide the installation process.

Our specialist installers put safety and efficiency first, providing you with a quick installation and comprehensive, thorough checks of the equipment to guarantee it is safe to use.

 

Why Get a Step Lift From Able Access?

Step lifts are a cost effective and easy to maintain mobility solution designed to help wheelchair and mobility scooter users maintain their independence and gain full access to their homes.

Our step lifts come in a variety of shapes and sizes depending on your needs, ensuring that you can benefit from the mobility solutions you need without compromise.

With our team of specialist accessibility consultants and engineers, Able Access are perfectly placed to provide you with all your mobility needs. From access ramps to through-floor lifts and door widening procedures, we can do it all!

Call our office today on 0121 382 1814 to speak with a member of our team – they’ll be happy to help answer any questions you may have and you can even book an appointment with us to discuss your options in more detail!