112621d

My take on ramp vs lift in wheelchair vans or at houses.

When I first got hurt, I didn't know. I fault the rehab hospital for not discussing pros and cons with me. To be fair, I should have asked a lot more questions. Be that as it may, these are my takes after 18 years.

VANS: lifts are just not a good idea if you are using a power wheelchair. They are prone to electrical and hydraulic malfunctions, which can be very inconvenient if you are in the van or not at home. In the US, it's hard to find a wheelchair-ready vehicle to get you home. In Tuscaloosa, one of the ambulance companies has two wheelchair vans. For a six-county area. Boston has wheelchair taxis. These are common in larger cities, and even some small towns, in western Europe, but they are rare in the US. And not just anyone can maintain or repair accessible equipment. If you can find qualified repair people at all, keeping a lift working (I'm looking at you, Braun and Ricon) is going to cost a lot. But the biggest problem is the danger. What do you do if you get stuck in the van when it's 98F and sunny? By contrast, a ramp is hardly capable of breaking down. For me, this trumps every other consideration.

HOMES: Outdoor lifts can be reliable (my Wheel-o-vator worked well for about 12 years). However, finding people who can repair such things can be difficult. And even though mine worked well for a long time, when it did need work, we found that bad choices had been made. For instance, the outlet where the motor plugged in was exposed to the elements. We were lucky it lasted as long as it did. A wooden ramp, in a hot and humid climate will need to be replaced after 10-15 years. However, this is cheaper and easier than replacing a lift. The ramp will work even if the power's out. The surface gets slick when it's wet, but some sand mixed in paint solves this problem.

If at all possible, you should have two exits from your home, in case of fire. Unless your living space is far above ground level, this is most easily done with two ramps.