Millions of people worldwide suffer from some sort of disability. For many of them, their physical disability is serious enough to require the use of a wheel chair to get around. Today's wheel chairs come in a wide range of styles and capabilities. Manual wheel chairs made from new types of lightweight materials may weigh as little as 20 pounds. But a fully-equipped power wheel chair can tip the scales at close to 500 pounds. People with heavy wheel chairs like those who want to travel or even go across town, will need some way to lift their wheel chair into their vehicle.
A power wheel chair lift can be used to lift any type of wheel chair into your vehicle. Power wheel chair lifts are usually used when you want or need to keep your existing vehicle instead of purchasing some sort of conversion van or other customized transportation.
It's important to match any power wheel chair lift you purchase to your wheel chair model. There are many different kinds of power wheel chair lifts. You need to determine which one is most suitable for your specific wheel chair. For example, as noted above, wheel chairs come in various weights and sizes. Choose a power lift for your wheel chair that has enough weight capacity to handle your situation.
Another thing you need to take into consideration when purchasing a power wheel chair lift is whether or not it is compatible with your vehicle. This question is best answered by contacting the manufacturer or their local dealer. Lifts can occasionally be used on a different vehicle, but it's better to not move them between vehicles frequently. If you use more than one vehicle on a regular basis, you may need to get more than one power wheel chair lift. Wheel chair lifts are powered by your vehicle's battery. Some models offer a manual override in the case of a dead battery.
"Outside" power wheel chair lifts are usually attached to an existing, permanently attached trailer hitch. The hitch must be rated to handle the weight of lift plus the weight of the wheel chair. An "inside" power lift resembles a small crane. It mounts inside your vehicle. The lift attaches to your wheel chair, lifts it to the required height, then rotates the wheel chair into the vehicle. Power lifts for wheel chairs generally need very little maintenance, but as with any device, you should closely follow the manufacturer's recommendations.
Power wheel chair lifts can range in price from a few hundred dollars to a few thousand dollars. You medical insurance may offer benefits that will offset the cost of a needed power lift. If you're purchasing a new vehicle, many car makers offer cash payments to help with the installation of a power lifts for wheel chairs.
One of the leading manufacturers of power wheel chair lifts is Harmar Mobility (http://www.harmar.com), a privately-held company located in southwest Florida. They manufacture several models of inside, outside and hybrid lifts. Harmar products are sold and installed by a network of local dealers.
Power wheel chair lifts are an important addition to today's mobility enhancing products that allow disabled individuals to live full, barrier-free lives.
Power wheel chair lifts provide the muscle you need to take even heavy motorized wheel chairs along for the ride