Wheelchairs offer freedom of movement to people with varied mobility problems, in a range of environments such as the home, work place or locality, often times, without the aid of a caregiver.

Wheelchair ramps come in a wide assortment of designs that are perfect for making steps and curbs accessible, stowing a wheelchair into a vehicle, and in places where there is a requirement to make up for height differences. Miniature ramps can be used to negotiate the threshold without making any structural changes.

The various types of wheelchair ramps can be divided into four subgroups depending on their main features such as horizontally and longitudinally folding ramps, telescopic ramps and fixed dimension ramps. Telescopic ramps can be further divided into “U” shaped gutter ramps and reverse profile ramps.

The various wheelchair ramps available in the market are Track Wheelchair Ramps, designed to line up with the wheels of the wheelchair some of which use a telescoping design tht extends to be used on steps, vans or curbs. These are designed for both manual and electric wheelchairs and are mostly made from anodized aluminum. Threshold Wheelchair Ramps mostly made from lightweight aluminum are designed for both indoor and outdoor use to help negotiate difficult obstacles like doorways and other raised areas. These can either be fitted permanently or can be moved form place to place. Modular Ramps designed for permanent or semi-permanent installation. These may include platforms, integral landings, self-contained leveling systems, supports, wheels, flanges, and handrails. The units may be joined by bolts or clamps, or fitted together. Many manufacturers of modular ramps offer custom dimensions and generally ship all of the parts with installation instructions. Single-Fold Wheelchair Ramps designed to fold in the middle making them highly portable, easy to handle and set up. Multi-Fold Wheelchair Ramps folded not once but twice and can be carried like a suitcase and the added length allows for taller obstacles to be maneuvered easily. Roll-Up Wheelchair Ramps are extremely portable with their hinge design which allows for easy folding and convenient storage. Telescoping Wheelchair Ramps are multi-purpose, telescoping ramps that can be extended to suit diverse needs and lengths. Most are made from aluminum and come with a lasting non-skid driving surface. Van Wheelchair Ramps are designed for quick access to a van door (side or back). These are easy to install, have a high load capacity of 800 lbs, are lightweight and manually operated and made from high strength aluminum with a non-skid driving surface.

Product appraisals and trials involving wheelchair users have highlighted the fact that no single ramp design met all the needs of the users, though wheelchair ramps were available in a diverse range of designs and configurations.

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As the world changes disabled access to the world must keep up. A vast range of disabled access barriers have been created and solutions follow, from disabled access being a blind person reading a brail book to disabled access being Oscar Pistorius, with two carbon-fiber prosthetic legs, breaking the 22 second barrier in the 2004 Athens Paralympics 200 meter sprint. It is important that one day people with disabilities do not have disabled access issues and there is no reason why that could not happen.

Disabled lifts come in all shapes and sizes, from portable disabled lifts to common elevator shafts; even bath, bed and vehicle aids can be classed as disabled lifts. Disabled lifts have been designed for public or domestic use, for indoor even outdoor use. Over history disabled lifts have been adapted to overcome all types of barriers to cater for the importance of individuals’ independent living. You can be assured that as new barriers are formed from developments in architecture, new ages and tastes etc, adaptations in disabled lifts will follow.

Wheelchair lifts are a separate type of disabled access aid where the wheelchair is lifted with its user hence “wheelchair lift”. You can not class a domestic lift, for example, where the user has to move out of their wheelchair into a seat as a wheelchair lift as the user leaves the wheelchair behind, and in many cases has another wheelchair on the second level. Wheelchair lifts usually take up more space, as a platform is needed for the wheelchair to sit on. Other types of lifts are used when the user is not always wheelchair bound but it is generally easier for a wheelchair user to use a wheelchair lift.

Sesame Access’ System will change the meaning of the phrase stair lifts. A disabled or able bodied person in the street would tell you that stair lifts are the contraptions that carry people up a set of domestic house stairs; “you know the stair lifts you see on T.V.” It is Sesame Access Systems LTD plan to create a Sesame System or stair lifts even, that will be affordable and practical for use in every household whilst still using the theory that our stair lifts remain hidden until a discrete button is pushed.
Sesame Access Systems web site wheelchairaccess.co.uk/

Platform lifts, on their own, are never the most aesthetically pleasing forms of access. You could even relate the phrase platform lifts to goods lifts. In many cases platform lifts are visible as an enclosed system with a gate as an entrance. We use platform lifts as a lifting mechanism but when the stairs are in the rest/pedestrian position you would need a trained eye to notice that platform lifts lays beneath.

It is believed that the earliest representation of wheelchair users was over one thousand years ago, an engraving was found in China of what appears to be wheelchair users sitting in a three wheeled chair. Wheelchair users had to rely on able bodied people to help in movement until Stephen Farfler invented a wheelchair with hand cranks in the mid 17th century allowing wheelchair users to move independently. According to the Department of Health 1994 there are around 1.2 million wheelchair users in the U.K. using all sorts of variations in design of wheelchairs which keep on improving including the iBOT that can carry wheelchair users up stairs, fantastic, but not too great for the wheelchair lift industry.

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Wheelchair lift vans can be difficult to find because of their specialized function. These vans are made especially to accommodate wheelchair bound individuals. Wheelchair lift vans are designed in such a way that it will be able to allow wheelchairs to be lifted up and become part of the seating of the said van.

This makes it possible for such people on wheelchairs to have access to a specialized mode of transportation that will enable them to travel around in a convenient manner. But when one cannot be found, most people usually rely on having any regular van modified to allow a wheelchair to be accessed into it.

Wheelchair lift vans are included in a range of vehicles that have been modified in order to allow access by individuals who use wheelchairs in their day-to-day routine. The usual modifications made on such vans are lowering the floor and adding a special ramp so that the chair can easily be rolled into the van.

Another modification is adding a motorized lift that is capable of picking the wheelchair up from ground level to the same level as the floor of the van. AMS Vans has pictures of what a lowered floor conversion looks like.

A van must undergo through an intense modification process that requires pinpoint planning in order for it to become wheelchair accessible. If utmost care is not taken during the modification work, there is a big chance that the sloppy work will result in a vehicle that can become completely undriveable.

When looking for your wheelchair van or planning to have one modified, it is recommended that you deal solely with a known member of the National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association when trying to acquire a wheelchair accessible van.

There are general steps that manufacturers follow in converting a regular van into a wheelchair accessible vehicle. These steps may differ greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer. All manufacturers or dealers of wheelchair lift vans should be closely aware of what takes place and what is needed during their conversion process.
These manufacturers must be able to answer all questions that individuals may ask about the conversion process. Most van conversions to become wheelchair accessible usually change the usual parts of the van. First of all, the original van floor is generally removed. Front seating is specially modified in such a way so as to allow easy access when using a wheelchair.

A special means of external access added, which is most often a ramp, a motorized lift, or turning seat. The van suspension is then stiffened to allow for the extra weight of wheelchairs, usually those that are powered by a motor.

It may also be necessary for gas tanks to be modified or replaced with custom models. After the conversion process, these modified vehicles are then tested to ensure safe and ideal operation.

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