Lift - Residential Exterior Residential - Electric Winch

The beauty of a winter wonderland. That is, until you are stuck outside waiting for a lift to raise you to the level you need to get into the warm house or lower you to the ground to get into a pre-warmed vehicle. Obviously, this issue is not exclusive to quadriplegics but we certainly are some of the most temperature-sensitive individuals.

The lift pictured above was purchased and installed after the slow-moving bureaucratic red tape was slashed through. Until then the relic my dad had purchased from the Abilities Council was in place as a solution until this modern lift was installed. It was then that the relic was moved out to their cabin. This lift, installed in 1998, has been a very reliable and trouble-free system for me. It's not without its imperfections but it has never let me down.

The vertical tracks, that the lift supports raise and lower between, have whiskers that keep a lot of debris out of that vertical tower which probably contributes to it functioning so well for so long. Above the controls is a stainless steel flap on hinges installed by my dad to keep the elements away from those buttons and the on/off key. Once he installed the flap we were replacing the protective plastic covers on the buttons far less frequently. The automatic stopping position for both the top and bottom have been nice, as opposed to the estimating and soft stopping point of the old Abilities Council lift. And, though it does not need to travel too far, it is not painfully slow.

My biggest complaint would be that, because of the pressure switch beneath the lift, designed to prevent anyone or anything from being crushed beneath it just like the lift inside this house, this lift does not go as flat to the ground as I would like. Because of this the ramp, though short, is quite steep. On this driveway there is adequate room to take a good run at it but that bump when you hit the ramp is not ideal when you have a something on your lap. Conversely, coming down is a pretty good bump. You will want to lean back to prevent any loss of balance or digging in of the front tires. This steep ramp could be remedied by having it descend from its protective position onto an additional small platform and ramp which would make the entire thing more gradual. However, I have an issue with the idea of mixing ramps and lifts. There is no good reason to it other than why would you want to have to fool around with both? Either build a proper ramp or have a proper lift.

Source: Home adaptation and modification businesses. Unlike the very complicated internal home lift installation, this could probably be done by someone with a degree of mechanical competence.

Winter

Until now I have focused on the positive. Solutions and helpful technology. The barriers exist, be they man-made or natural and unavoidable.

I used to enjoy icefishing, hockey, tobogganing and a lot of other sports that take place only in winter. But, that has all changed since my injury. I still enjoy icefishing, when the amount of snow on the ice, more likely depth of the ruts to get on the ice, is scarce enough that the minimal clearance of my lowered floor minivan can navigate without getting hung up or damaged. It has been a number of years since I have been able to get on the ice and I do really miss it.

However, that sickly photo above that encapsulates my view of winter is the utter truth. Last winter was brutal. This one is starting off in the same way, having just emerged from a bitter three-week streak of regular -30°C or lower nighttime lows with both snow and wind. The cold makes it dangerous for anybody, especially someone with reduced circulation and who cannot feel their legs freezing. But, when you can get where you are going is not such a big issue. When someone like our neighbors two blocks away don't shovel their snow all winter, and you have over 60 cm of packed snow on a public sidewalk, it makes it dangerous and almost unusable for anyone. They have refused to shovel the sidewalk again, this year. You chose to buy a corner lot. Shovel your snow!

I try to restrict my excursions to essential outings when it is that cold and I tried to arrange to have someone with me, just in case. If I get stuck it would not take long for my hands, protected only by the gloves, to begin to freeze before someone came along to give me a push. The cold is hard enough on all vehicles but the adaptations to my van are already something to respect as fragile. The kneeling of my van and the ramp have performed flawlessly even in the coldest weather but, when possible, I turn off the kneeling and park side a curb or accept the push to reduce the moving parts and hopefully save something breaking.

Finally, if I have to choose winter weather, I will choose no snow and colder than -15°C. Why? Because ice melt substances do not work below -15°C. When they do melt it clings to my tires and push rims, making them wet, slippery and gritty, not to mention the mess they cause me to track in. I am also aware of the potential toxicity to pets some of them have. When it is nice and cold everything is as solid as concrete and much easier to traverse by wheelchair if the snow is hard packed or properly cleared. Living in Saskatoon has taught me not to hope for the later.

I have considered starting up a site to shame cities for their disgraceful inaccessibility but I fear that it would be focusing too much of my energy on the negative, instead of the positive. As well, peers of mine who have lobbied for years spent much of their energy and put much of their heart into what resulted as miniscule improvements and the civic government of the time patting themselves on the back like they had moved mountains.

Solutions: Choose outdoor activity for less cold days, when possible. Plan activities, hobbies or projects for the worst of the winter months. And, unfortunately, complain when neighbours, cities and businesses do not make reasonable attempts at their legal and moral duty to clear snow.