Leading experts in disabled mobility products are claiming that the revolutions in the design and development of platform lifts are causing veritable renaissance for the makers of the lifts but also for disabled people who use them.
One of the biggest pieces of government legislation that has been introduced in the past decade is the introduction of the Disability and Discrimination Act in 2005, which aimed to remove the physical barriers that hindered disabled people from gaining access to the most rudimentary of public buildings. This has caused shockwaves throughout the world of building design as it has meant that many public buildings have had to undergo massive redesigns to become in accordance with the guidelines set out by this piece of legislation.
However the platform lift has presented a very amiable solution for architects when redesigning these buildings as they both meet the solutions of the DDA 2005 but also the challenges of carrying out such massive renovations on publicly listed buildings. The English heritage foundation have strict guidelines over what work architects can carry out in a listed building due to the fact that the foundations of such buildings cannot be altered as this would detract from the architecture of the buildings.
The platform lift is remarkably simple to put together and can reach remarkable heights. A standard screw and nut driven lifting platform for installation outdoors and indoors can provide a practical and aesthetic solution to any architectural challenges faced by the regulations of the DDA. This was certainly the case for Butts dental practice whose building is in a Victorian building and therefore classed as listed. However a platform lift was soon installed with minimum fuss and this has provided a lasting solution for the disabled visitors to the site.
Also the bespoke design ability means that they can be designed to become consistent with the current design of the building. The classic design of black, stainless steal frames with glass front doors means that they compliment the current design of the building. This perfectly complimented the distinct gothic appearance of this Victorian property.
For heights higher than two metres most suppliers offer a free standing platform lift, which can be erected extremely simply by cutting a 50mm platform in the floor, which still wouldn't conflict with the foundations of the buildings and thereby stay in accordance with the English heritage laws but still have their own shaft that means they are completely independent.
These freestanding platform lifts have been utilised by a range of companies that are looking for this kind of operation. An example of such is the championship football club Nottingham Forest who installed a freestanding platform lift to help make the club more accessible for the ground as it is a popular venue for banquets and social functions in the east midlands.
Although there is still a long road ahead until every public building has disabled access these advancements in the design and engineering of platform lifts has meant that many building can integrate them easily and that in the future there is a real possibility that every building will indeed have disabled access.
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