For wheelchair users and people that find moving around difficult their homes a disabled lift can be an essential piece of equipment. They can give people access to floor levels that are above ground level. Implementing a disabled access lift can be an incredibly positive influence on the quality of life of a disabled person.

Indeed they can revolutionise a disabled person's life and offer a new source of independence. Enabling disabled people to climb stairs without the support of another person can be a great way of improving their levels of independence and can contribute to a brighter outlook. Fortunately the British government have begun to take actions to make access to buildings much better for people with disabilities. It is a legal right that people that require the use of a wheelchair have access to all public buildings and that they can also access workplaces. Things have developed immensely in the past 20 years and accessibility is better than it has ever been.

The History of Wheelchairs

The history of wheelchairs dates back to when the first wheelchair was conceived in the 1960s. The early wheelchairs were developed in England from designs that were initially created in renaissance Germany. The wheelchair was initially a very primitive device that literally involved having wheels connected to a standard chair so that the person in the chair could be moved around the house with ease. They were initially developed to help people that found walking difficult and they are to this day used to help people that have difficulty walking. The modern wheelchair is used by both people that have a physical disability and people that also have a mental disability.

There are two main types of wheelchairs. The two primary categories are motorised wheelchairs and manual wheelchairs. As their category suggests a manual wheelchair is one that is propelled manually. This is done either by the person sat in the chair by forcing the large wheel around and thus moving the wheelchair forward. The other common way for a manual wheelchair to be moved around is by having a wheelchair pushed around by an able bodied person. The primary indication of a manual wheelchair is the use of a large rear wheel. This helps the manual wheelchair user by maximising the force output of turning the wheel by hand.

The second major type of wheelchair is the motorised wheelchair. This type of wheelchair is propelled along by the use of a motor. This is obviously a great option for people that do not have strong enough arms to propel a manual wheelchair. The motorised wheelchair uses a mechanical system that uses electrical mechanisms that can be controlled by the use of a joystick. This means anyone that uses one of these types of wheelchair is able to do so with limited body movement. These types of wheelchair also have a large rear wheel that moves the chair and has two smaller stabilising wheels at the front of the chair that gives the wheelchair balance.

The government are making a concerted effort to make access better for disabled users and new build residential dwellings are obliged to provide disabled access. This means that the future is bright. If you are looking for a disabled access lift then take the time to find one that suits you so that you can achieve a new level of independence.