Stairlifts Come in All Shapes and Sizes

While the idea of a mechanized chair that transports individuals in wheelchairs up and down staircases seems like something that was spawned in the 21st century, in reality it is actually technology that has been around for some 80 years and has been manufactured to meet a variety of different needs over the years.

Stairlifts aren’t necessarily common by any stretch of the word, but for those who are relegated to a wheelchair or know someone who is, they are a commonly-needed piece of technology that is seen and used every day.

Stairlifts are mechanical lifts that are designed to transport individuals in wheelchairs up and down staircases. Depending on the specifics of the individual’s needs, the stairs involved and the home in which it is installed, a stairlift can operate in a number of various manners specific to the user - all of which are centered around the basic principle of transporting him or her up an incline that he or she would be unable to traverse without assistance.

The technology behind these devices has actually been in use since as far back as the 1930s and 1940s. The original units, which often relied more on a pulley system than on any type of mechanized controls, were typically manufactured and sold for use by victims of Polio who were unable to navigate staircases on their own without such direct assistance.

While the technology behind this idea is not new, it has evolved over the years to the point where various aspects of common stairlifts are available in a number of shapes, sizes and other characteristics to fit the specific need of the individual.

A straight rail stairlift is the one typically found in private residences. It is installed for use on stairs that rise at a straight incline and involves a rail being installed on the stairs to serve as a track for the chair in which the individual sits. This chair is then mechanically transported up and down the track with the individual sitting in it.

A curved lift is far less common and can be more difficult and costly to obtain due to the customizations often necessary to install and operate them. Because curved staircases are not manufactured to match the dimensions of others like them, nearly every curved lift has to be specially designed to suit the exact specifications of an individual home. Despite the fact that the technology involved is no different than their counterparts that run on straight tracks, these lifts are often much costlier.

Nonetheless, the most costly stairlifts are those that transport entire wheelchairs rather than requiring individuals to get out of theirs and ride up the stairs in an installed seat. Known as platform lifts, these are made of much stronger and heavier duty materials, are less common in private residences and are most often found in public locations.

Aside from these main classifications, stairlifts also come in a number of additional sizes and configurations. This variety has been the biggest advancement in the technology over the last several decades and has allowed numerous individuals to have access to the assistance they desperately need.