Porch lifts have lift heights from 28″ to 72″. The lifts can make up to six stops.

One company offers wheelchair lifts with travel distances up to 12′ and a weight capacity of 750 lbs. Another source says wheelchair lift travel distances range from 24″ to 20′ depending on how far the client wants to travel in the home, from the basement to the main floor.

Vertical platform lifts work like an elevator to raise a wheelchair and its passenger smoothly and effortlessly straight up and down. Most rise about 4.5 feet, but some will go as high as 14 feet, enough to reach a second floor. They take up less than 30 square feet and can avoid the space problems of long ramps. They are powered by household current or battery and are durable indoors or outdoors, even in harsh winter weather.

Wheelchair lifts travel up to 14 feet at varying speeds. Most lifts have a variable speed control that can be set at 0 to 5 m.p.h. Typical speeds for straight stairlifts range between 13.78 feet per minute and 29.53 feet per minute, which is 0.34 m.p.h. The speed of a curved wheelchair lift may vary on the journey if the controls cause them to slow on inclines and bends. Wheelchair lifts have controllers that can be programmed to lower speeds for safety concerns.

A wheelchair lift can raise you to the height of your door and lower you back to your original starting point. It can be easily installed within an hour indoors or outdoors.

An outdoor wheelchair lift eliminates the need to climb stairs and can get you up the stairs from driveway to porch, deck, or raised entryway. Simply sit on the seat and use the hand controls to take you to the next level.

Look online for wheelchair lift providers who offer a range of lifts and check the specifications for travel distances. Select an indoor or outdoor lift that will carry the passenger the distance needed up an individual stairway or to a higher floor.