Lifts / Stair Lift

Through Floor Lifts
Vertical, or through floor lifts, enable an individual to move from one floor to another within their home. Although versions are available that carry a seated or standing passenger, most are designed for wheelchair users. They enable wheelchair users to travel between floors in their wheelchair, avoiding the need to transfer from the wheelchair and onto, for example, a stairlift.

However, vertical lifts need more space than a stairlift, and it is sometimes necessary to make structural alterations to the property. Vertical lifts without a shaft are commonly used in home environments as they require fewer structural alterations than lifts with a shaft. Again, consult your OT for a full assessment.

Stair Lift
There are stairlifts which have specialised seats suitable for children with disabilities. The stairlifts may be either controlled by your child or by you, if a parental control is supplied. They are available for both curved and straight staircases.

Again, consult your OT for a full assessment. Note that a stairlift will not be offered if your child cannot self-transfer from a chair/wheelchair and needs hoisting, as this creates a huge safety risk. In such cases, you would be offered a through floor lift.