Pennsylvania is not flat. In towns like Scranton, Pottsville and Pittsburgh, and across the Poconos and the Alleghenies, houses cling to slopes. The front door may be a full story above the street, or the house may be below the road with steps leading down. For a wheelchair user these homes pose a serious challenge, and a ramp is rarely the answer.
Why ramps fail on a slope
A safe ramp needs roughly a foot of length for each inch of height. Ten steps to a porch could call for a ramp of seventy feet or more, with landings and turns. On a steep, narrow lot there is simply nowhere to put it.
What a vertical platform lift offers
A platform lift goes straight up. Models are available with enough travel to reach a porch a full story above the ground, from a base only a few feet square.
Common hillside arrangements
- House above the street. The lift stands at the top of the driveway or beside the porch and rises to the porch floor.
- House below the street. A lift near the parking area lowers the rider to the level of the entrance.
- Garage under the house. A lift inside the garage rises through the floor to the level above, or an elevator is installed.
- Steps in two stages. A long flight broken by a landing may need an inclined lift that follows the stairs.
Site work to expect
- A level concrete pad, which may involve a small retaining wall on a slope
- A smooth route from the car to the lift
- Power to the lift location
- Good drainage so that water does not collect and freeze at the base
Do not stop at the door
Hillside homes tend to have stairs inside as well. A home elevator or the two-stop LUMA can continue the accessible route indoors.
It starts with a look at the site
Every slope is different. See the Apex range on our wheelchair lifts page, then call Nationwide Lifts of Pennsylvania on 570-217-8426 or book a site visit.