Platform lifts...

The majority of people do not realise that nowadays putting in a lift is not difficult. Gone are the days where a shop could argue a building is too old for an elevator to be installed. I understood that companies used to not be able to install a standard lift in listed buildings because the law means that you cannot change the structure of those particular places.

However, platform lifts are readily available nowadays from sites such as https://www.tkencasa.co.uk/. They are not complicated and can be fitted anywhere (even in a basement nightclub in Benedorm) so the argument that it will involve a lot of building work no longer stacks up. The Jones Bootmaker store in St. Albans is a great example to illustrate this very point. Next used to say the building is listed and a lift can’t be put in.  Shortly after the premises changed hands, a lift suddenly appeared. Thus making the ‘listed’ argument defunct and one 'Wheelchair Boy' no longer accepts.

There are countless shops I have been in where the men's section is only up or down a few steps; not completely on a different level. I have taken my custom elsewhere but it would be simply overcome by a platform lift. It's not an unreasonable request because they can be installed on existing stairs and do not require a building to completely change. These 'mini elevators' are similar to portable ramps in that they are simple add-ons but improve accessibility tenfold.

So if you do own or manage a shop/pub/restaurant, I hope that I have encouraged you to buy a platform lift (https://www.tkencasa.co.uk/platform-lifts/). Not only is it the right thing to do but it totally makes sense from a business point of view. The purple pound (name given to the spending power of disabled people) is estimated to be worth £212 Billion but is often overlooked by businesses. A small investment in making your premises' accesible to customers in wheelchairs will be so worth it in the end.

At the same time, if you know of any buildings that could do with improving their access, please get them to read this post (as well as the rest of my blog of course).

Bye for now!