Wheelchair Lifts for Schools
When a student using a wheelchair faces a flight of stairs in their school, it’s more than just a physical barrier—it’s an obstacle to their fundamental right to education. While schools nationwide commit to equal access for all students, the practical realities of aging infrastructure often tell a different story. At Ascension, we’ve witnessed firsthand how something as seemingly simple as vertical mobility can transform educational experiences for students with disabilities. This case study demonstrates how our wheelchair lifts have helped forward-thinking schools bridge the gap between accessibility promises and the diverse, evolving needs of today’s student population.
Aynor High School
Aynor High School in South Carolina, established 1913, and home to the Blue Jackets, is a central learning institution to the town of Aynor and actively enrolls around a thousand students.
The Challenge
Aynor High School had begun a renovation project involving their auditorium with Monteith Construction. As part of the renovation, Aynor High School’s auditorium needed an ADA-compliant accessibility option to provide equitable access to a stage. The existing accessibility setup was likely outdated or insufficient, prompting them to seek a modern, fully compliant solution.
Looking for Options
Monteith Construction, the company involved in Aynor’s renovation, reached out to Ascension after finding us through our website. Monteith was impressed with the pit-less design of all of Ascension’s wheelchair lifts, which allows for flush entry and exit, as well as easy installation without having to dig a whole to accommodate under-platform machinery.
Solution: Ascension Virtuoso
Aynor and Monteith chose an Ascension Virtuoso 5460 FG for its compact footprint and pit-less, ramp-less design, which aligned with the project’s needs, and guarantees equitable access to Aynor’s stage. Additionally, a compression tool kit and a battery backup were included with the lift to ensure reliability and ease of maintenance. Finally, the lift visually integrates into the space to maintain the school’s aesthetic appeal. Monteith and the school were particularly impressed with how the lift’s minimal footprint and pit less design simplified the installation process.
Conclusion
Aynor’s Virtuoso is now actively in use for school events, performances, and any other accessibility needs, and Aynor appreciated how the Virtuoso’s aesthetic maintains the auditorium’s design while providing seamless accessibility.
Virtuoso
For the Virtuoso, safety is paramount. Fully ADA compliant, the lift also features an enclosed design to prevent falls, as well as 360° safety skirting to stop casual access to the underside. The Virtuoso’s user-friendly interface and quiet operation provide a seamless experience for all users, making it an ideal choice for those seeking a safe accessibility solution.
Clarity
Like its siblings, the Clarity excels in ADA compliance and ease of use. The lift is compact and reliable, requiring little space for installation. Its modern appearance and enclosed design offer both safety and aesthetic value. The Clarity offers up to two-story travel, as well as pitless installation and rampless access, making the lift a top-tier accessibility solution.
Protégé
The Protégé is an ADA-compliant wheelchair lift used in many low-rise applications and often around schools and universities. Its large window area serves a triple purpose: enhancing rider safety, enabling caregiver monitoring, and dispelling rider anxiety. With its discreet, low-profile, and modern design, the Protégé safeguards rider confidence.
How Can Ascension Help You?
Ascension Has What You're Looking For
Student’s are hard on hardware, but Ascension has what it takes to rise to the challenge.
Lifecycle and Support
Ascension was founded in 1990 and we offer the longest, most comprehensive warranty in the business, meaning; we’re not going anywhere. Ascension’s 10-Year Drivetrain, 4-Year Parts, 90-Day Labor warranty is a commitment from us to you that your wheelchair lift will run when you need it, where you need it, for a long, long time.
Lifting Height
Outer Dimensions
Installing anything requires space and a campus has precious little to spare. That’s why Ascension wheelchair lifts feature small footprints. This enables each lift to fit easily into compact locations, while still supplying an ADA compliant inner platform. Ascension footprints include: Protégé: 52″ W x 61″ L, Clarity: 48″ W x 68″ L, Virtuoso: 52″ W x 64″ L
Operational Volume
Every Ascension wheelchair lift utilizes some version of a hydraulic drive system. As such, each system is both reliable, strong, and quiet. Descending, each lift is virtually silent. While ascending, each lift features a volume about normal conversation level (~60 dB).
Your Lift Done Your Way
Ascension provides window etching and custom color options to make your lift fit your space just the way you want.
Etched Windows
Ascension can provide etched windows on any lift to include facility or organization name and logo, scenes, and much more. Let your Ascension accessibility specialist know you’re interested.
Custom Paint Colors
Ascension offers choice of color so that your lift matches with you vision. Let your Ascension accessibility specialist know you’re interested.
Unique Programs and Design Elements
Additionally, Ascension provides several benefits that standout among our competition:
Educational Program
For every lift that your school or district purchases, Ascension will donate $500 toward providing school supplies to help support your teachers and students. Talk to our accessibility specialists today!
Pitless Design
Unlike many wheelchair lifts, Ascension lifts features a pitless design to remove the need for excavation or damage to a location during the lift’s install.
Towerless Design
Rather than the large tower used to hold lifting mechanisms common to wheelchair lifts, Ascension lifts feature a towerless design, made possible from housing the lifting mechanisms in the walls of the lifts. This enables each Ascension lift to maintain a low profile aesthetic and small footprint.
Flush Entrance
Each Ascension wheelchair lift features a flush entrance and exit without the need for ramps. Ramps require greater floor space to use and thus a larger area for a lift installation.
Window Space
Each Ascension wheelchair lift has been designed to maximize the clear window space present in order to prevent rider anxiety, claustrophobia, and allow caregivers to monitor the rider.
Fully ADA Compliant
Every Ascension wheelchair lift does comply with ADA, ADAAG, and ASME A18.1 requirements.
Tell Us About Your School!
Frequently Asked Questions
All Ascension lift models come with a standard 10-year drive train, 4-year parts, and 90-day labor warranty, setting an unparalleled industry benchmark. Optional extended warranties are also available.
Yes. Ascension wheelchair lifts provide all applicable operating and safety requirements necessary for compliance with ADA standards.
Just give us a call at (520) 881-3993 and ask for Ascension Sales; you may also use our Contact Us form or email us.
Set up of the portable Ascension Virtuoso requires approximately 10 minutes, while the portable Ascension Protégé requires approximately 5 minutes. Watch our lift setup videos for more detailed information.
In general, we recommend inspecting the lift’s hydraulic fluid level at six-month intervals. For other specific questions regarding maintenance, get in touch with us.
Typically due to code requirements; however, some installation locations are better served with permanent modal wheelchair lifts instead of portable versions. Because states, regions, and municipalities throughout the US and elsewhere all adopt different versions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations, a permanent wheelchair lift, rather than a portable lift, may be required by law.
All Ascension lifts may be used outdoors. For extended outdoor use, cold climates, and other harsh environments, an optional Outdoor Package is available.
The Ascension Virtuoso 5460 Model Series has a 60” maximum rise and the Ascension Protégé 5442 Model Series has a 42” maximum rise. The Ascension Clarity 16E features a 168” maximum rise.
Some Ascension models can interface with some full-height doors in some locations. Please contact us to get the answers for your specific application.
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