Four years ago Charlie´s life changed dramatically when a swimming accident left him with a broken neck. Charlie accepted the physical change and adjusted to a wheelchair for mobility, but he could not accept the idea that everything else should also change. In particular, he loved his job as Shop Foreman at Worldwide Slate Inc., and wanted to return to work as soon as possible. Charlie and his case manager worked with the company after his accident to ensure a smooth return to work. The only obstacle was that to exit Charlie´s house, he would have to leave by the front entrance which led out to a concrete porch. The porch height was 48" above the street level, where his morning ride would be waiting. Charlie also wondered how he would be received back at work. He didn’t have much time to think about it because two weeks before he was to return to work, his fellow workers arrived at his door with an accessibility consultant. After carefully evaluating the situation and the various lifts available, they decided to purchase a Handilift Lift for Charlie so that he could come and go without any assistance.

There were several reasons why they chose the Handilift. The Handilift was the most economical choice because it is a totally self-supporting unit that requires no external support members or structure. Installation is as easy as moving it into place, bolting it to a concrete pad, and plugging it into a 115 volts, 15 amps power service. The most important feature of the Handilift is its safe operation. The passenger is surrounded by 42" high side guard panels, and a 16" access ramp "locks" in the UP position when the lift is away from the landing. A standard feature is an under-platform sensor plate that will immediately "stop" the lift from traveling down if an obstruction is encountered. The reliable, low-maintenance, self lubricating design of the screw drive lifting mechanism produces the power to smoothly elevate and lower the lift and its rated load.

The company contributed one half of the cost of the lift and management was able to justify the expense by comparing it to the cost of hiring and training a new employee for Charlie’s job. Everyone at the company agreed that Charlie’s contribution to the company is well worth the price of a lift. And, after all, he is the manager of the company’s baseball team.