Platform lifts are a method of access for wheelchair users that want to gain access to a building or reach a different floor of a building. As the title suggests they are designed to be a platform onto which the wheelchair user can wheel onto and then be raised to another floor level. For wheelchair users it can be extremely frustrating to be denied access to a building because of the lack of a suitable lift.



Places that offer adequate access for disabled users provide a level of freedom that is invaluable to a disabled person. Not being able to have access to a building can be a real source of anxiety and as a result the government have acted fast to provide disabled access lifts in building such as libraries and they have also put legislation in place to make disabled access compulsory in most workplaces and in most public access buildings such as cinemas. Things are finally looking up for people that need to sue a wheelchair to get around and fortunately the government look set to make further strides in the coming years.

Wheelchairs

Wheelchairs are designed to make the user as independent as possible. The wheelchair has been in use for a number of years and since wheels were first added to a dining chair they have gone through a number of different modifications to improve them. The early examples of wheelchairs were relatively primitive but nowadays wheelchairs are no longer modifications of chairs but rather they are built bespoke to the needs of wheelchair users. There are a number of different types of wheelchair and these different types of wheelchair generally fall under two different categories; manual wheelchairs and electric wheelchairs. Motorised wheelchairs can generally be propelled by a engine that is controlled by the wheelchair user using a joystick.

It generally doesn't require a great deal of physical exertion from the wheelchair user and as a result is a very useful piece of equipment for people with limited upper and lower body movement. These types of wheelchairs are used by people that have very little movement and they are also used by people with mental disabilities.

The majority of manual wheelchairs are designed to make the most of the effort that is exerted by the wheelchair user. These wheelchairs are generally propelled by the user and the major design benefit of these is the large rear wheel which is designed to provide the maximum amount of output for the effort that is put in. The manual wheelchair has an oversized rear wheel that provide the propulsion and two small front wheels that are used primarily to balance the wheelchair.

The large rear wheel is big enough that the user can place his or her hands on the wheel and turn it manually. The added bonus of this oversized wheel is that is can enable the wheelchair user to perform a wheelie. As well as being pretty impressive the wheelie also enables the wheelchair users to climb pavements without help from another person.