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Wheelchair Lifts and Storage Methods
With many types of wheelchair lifts on the market, it may be difficult to understand the differences between them. This table compares other types of wheelchair lifts to the Abiloader:
| Lift Classification | Crane-style Lift - eg Bruno | No lift | Rooftop Lift | ABILOADER | Van |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Storage Type | Dependent | Manual Handling | External Storage (folding only) | Internal Storage (rigid or folding) | Drive in vehicle |
| Carer | Required for any journey | Not required | Not required | Not required | Not required |
| Physical strength | - | Quite a high level required, hand grip and weight lift | Low requirement | Virtually zero | Must be able to ascend quite steep ramp |
| Balance | Medium - maintain stable position, during heavy lifting | Modest - maintain stable position during chair collapse / re-open | Low - maintain stable position during chair latch unlatch | Low | |
| Dexterity | Significant, to disassemble rigid chair or fold folding chair | Moderate | Low, latch designed for limited capability, is close to person | Low | |
| Vehicle | Any type | Any type | Variety of wagons, SUVs, minivans | Van only | |
| Vehicle mods level | None | Roof rack addition, no vehicle mods | Installs in the trunk / boot, no vehicle mods | Custom cut-floor, highly intrusive mods | |
| Price | Moderate | Zero | Moderate | Medium | High |
Note that the simple Crane-type lifts (of which there are many brands and types) are very low down on this scale of benefits, as they do not provide Driver Independence
The Abiloader provides full independence, about the lowest required combination of strength and dexterity and fits a range of standard vehicles, but is a lesser outlay than a modfied van.