The Disabled’s right to a Stair lift
Stair Lifts Are A Right Of The Disabled
Stair lifts have shown themselves to be a very convenient device for the elderly, but stair lifts are becoming considered more and more to be a right of the disabled.
In a landmark case in the State of Connecticut, the state agreed in 2003 to make a case by case determination whether each individual Medical recipient was entitled to payments for stair lifts. This comes under the category of durable equipment to help disabled people move up and down stairs.
This ruling could also have relevance to patients on a federal level, particularly under the Americans with Disability Act. Attorneys from the Connecticut bath-chair-lift case argued that the disabled patient in question had the right to payments for the stair lifts, in order to maintain their ability to continue independent living.
Since many disabled people are now living in two or three story homes; by installing a stair lift, they are now able to stay in their homes and are not forced to relocate into nursing homes. The attorneys argued: “that by having Medicaid pay for the stair lifts they were actually saving the state government money”! For a relatively small expense of between $2,000 and $4,000, patients were avoiding nursing home care, or even better, around-the-clock home care.
Watch the following video to see how Mrs. A’s life was dramatically improved with the addition of a Stair Lift to her home.
Heart problems and arthritis meant that Mrs A needed a stairlift and level access shower. Her Home Improvement Agency advised throughout the process and helped with her grant application.
This case in Connecticut is typical of a whole class of cases hitting the courts these days. A disabled person has the right to mobility and the necessary needs for transportation, including the use of stair lifts, to get around the inside of their own home.
“…We are on the verge of the first ever mass geriatric society…”
Read the following article showing how we can
Prolong your Independence
Similar cases regarding the elderly and/or disabled have appeared all around the country. For example, a case was recently filed in Boston, Massachusetts against the Massachusett’s Bay Transit Authority (MBTA) by lawyers representing the disabled in wheelchairs. It was contended that on their subway lines, the gap, between train platforms and the trains that stop, is too wide for them to safely board trains. The disabled were finding that they could only board subway trains with outside assistance.
These types of cases have already gotten action happening across the country. In an extensive building program throughout New York City, the city has spent billions of dollars in building elevators to provide access into trains for the disabled.
Disabled children in Brooklyn, NY City, NY sued for the right to obtain services from Access-A-Ride, so they could also have access to public transportation. This case was won by South Brooklyn Legal Assistance, so children in wheelchairs now have access to public transportation.