Vertical platform lifts are basically accessibility assistance for wheelchair users. When a wheelchair-bound individual has to get up and sit into the chair of a stairlift, a vertical platform lift elevates them with the wheelchair. It offers an extreme level of user-friendliness. There is no need to get up and sit again. Simply place the wheelchair on the platform and navigate up and down stairs.
Vertical platform lifts come with many options—different sizes, capacities, and prizes. You can adopt one as an outdoor or an indoor accessibility solution and depend less on the caregiver. This article will help you deeply understand what is a vertical platform lift and how it works. This informative piece can guide you to make a quick decision about your product so you can make the most of its uses.
What Is a Vertical Platform Lift?
In plain terms, a vertical platform lift or VPL is a small elevator that can lift wheelchairs and their users from one level to another. These lifts accommodate mobility aids such as wheelchairs and scooters. You can install a vertical platform lift in almost any area of your home, indoors or outdoors.
Key Features of Vertical Platform Lifts
Vertical platform lifts come with a range of key features that set them apart as efficient and effective accessibility solutions. Let’s explore some of the standout features of these lifts.
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Accessibility
Vertical platform lifts make access easier for the physically challenged by ensuring the person doesn’t have to get help from anybody to use a ramp or stair. Regular elevators occupy a larger space and are often very expensive, while vertical platforms can be fitted in a smaller space, a cost-effective solution for smooth access.
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Safety
These lifts have several safety features, including onboard controls, an overspeed governor, a nonskid surface, and obstruction or under-panel sensors. Most wheelchair lifts are made of metal and have short walls on three sides, making them one of the safest mobility options.
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Ease of Use
Compared to other mobility devices, VPLs are easier to use. Easy accessibility, advanced safety, and remote control have made them easy to use.
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Versatility
You can install a vertical lift both outdoors and indoors. You may install them in offices, homes, restaurants, and schools. They are easily adaptable to the eyes and not very gigantic in size.
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Durability
Typically, vertical VPL platforms are made of aluminum. Aluminum is corrosion-resistant and lighter than most similar materials. It withstands prolonged durability even in outdoor situations.
Types of Vertical Platform Lift
There are several types of vertical platform lifts that can be used for different applications:
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Unenclosed Vertical Platform Lift
These lifting platforms, also known as step lifts, vertically move the users on a platform from one level to another. These types of lifts are best where there is a small change in floor level or a mezzanine level and are most often used in places where it is either not possible or impractical to provide a ramp. Continuous pressure push buttons operate these lifting platforms.
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Enclosed Vertical Platform Lift
These lifts are quite similar to traditional lifts. They have a platform with short walls on all four sides and a top over the walls.
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Shaftway Platform Lift
Shaftway lifts fit inside a vertical runway. This vertical platform lift consists of a drive mast, passenger platform, doors, and gates.
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Inclined Platform Lift
Inclined platform lifts carry a wheelchair user over an existing staircase on a level platform. The platforms are convertible when not in use.
How a Vertical Platform Lift Works
Vertical platform lifts have a tower or drive mast, a platform, an access gate or door, a battery, and a ramp for mounting. They also have safety features like solid platform walls, safety flaps on the side, emergency communication, and keylock controls. Depending on the height of the lift, there may be multiple stoppages on the way. Vertical platform lifts have a maximum lifting height of 14 feet.
The user drives the wheelchair up the lift platform, pressing the button to go up or down. Once the desired point is reached, the lift stops automatically, and the user drives out of the lift.
Benefits of Using Vertical Platform Lifts
The benefits of using vertical platform lifts start with freedom of movement. Consider the era when a disabled person had to depend on another person to help him use the stairs to go out shopping or other work. Just because they were in a wheelchair, it was nearly impossible to use a stair. Vertical lifts eliminate these challenges in a moment and unleash the joy of personal freedom within a moment. There are other additional benefits with unlimited movements, as we have listed below,
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Improved Mobility
Using a wheelchair lift, a disabled person can easily navigate outside and inside a house. At the same time, they can move upstairs and downstairs inside a building. It’s simply placing the wheelchair on the platform and winning more mobility than ever before.
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Enhanced Safety
A verticle platform lift has much more enhanced safety features compared to other accessibility tools. They are powerful, well-designed, and easy to operate for a user. The chances of accidents are tend to zero in platform lifts.
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Space-Saving
Verticle platform lifts are smaller than regular lifts. They can be easily fitted beside a stair; maximum platform lifts occupy as small a place as a wheelchair can be placed easily. It saves interior and exterior spaces by default. Inclined lifts can be folded when not in use, making them even more space-efficient solutions than platform lifts.
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Cost-Effective
Contemporary lifts are expensive to buy and install. Maintenance of these lifts is as costly as their price. These lifts consume huge amounts of electricity resulting in big numbers in utility bills. In contrast, platform lifts are less expensive, easy to operate, and demand low maintenance. The majority of platform lifts use minimal electricity which saves considerable money in electric bills.
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Compliance with Regulations
For public buildings, installing vertical platform lifts ensures compliance with ADA requirements, making the building accessible to all individuals regardless of their mobility limitations.
Applications of Vertical Platform Lifts
The basic application of a vertical platform lift is to enable a user to move around easily, maybe inside a building or outside a building. It can be used to come inside, go outside, and as stairs to navigate inside a home.
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Residential Homes
Applications of vertical platforms in residential homes are like coming inside a house using a vertical lift installed next to the stairs in front of the main door. Indoor residential vertical platform lifts are used to go up and down as an alternative to indoor stairs.
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Commercial Buildings
In commercial buildings, we can not forecast who will be coming for any purpose. As a result, platform lifts become even more crucial to ensure flawless entrance of physically challenged persons. Inside commercial building there should be platform lifts, as in many cases, all the services of business can not be provided on the gound floor.
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Public Institutions
Public institutions like police stations, local municipality offices, and universities are meant to provide service with equality to all eligible persons. To ensure this equality and non-discriminating environment, public institutions often ensure that a person navigating with a wheelchair does not face difficulty moving around and inside the building. Vertical platforms lift easily with a wheelchair to ensure that the user is not facing any obstacle.
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Healthcare Facilities
Hospitals and clinics use vertical platform lifts to transport patients and visitors with mobility challenges between floors safely.
How to Have a Vertical Platform Lift Installed
First of all, as a non-professional, it’s highly unlikely that you can install a vertical platform lift. You have to contact a professional VPL installing service near you. The service provider will come, inspect your house, and evaluate the possibilities in accordance with ADA building codes. Then, they will provide you with a quotation and plan for installing a lift in your house.
Conclusion
Vertical lifts are advanced options to ensure mobility, freedom of navigation, and maximum safety for wheelchair users. It enables them to overcome the difficulties of moving around in a self-dependent way. If you want a vertical platform lift Call Before You Fall, can help you in the entire process of installing one in your home with the highest professionalism and perfection.
Our vertical platform lift (VPL) is suitable for any homeowner looking for an effective and secure way to navigate different levels inside their home. Many homeowners are considering these vertical platform lifts as an investment that is user-friendly and has various customizable options at competitive prices. Call Us to Schedule a Home Evaluation at 800.829.1491 today!
