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ThyssenKrupp Access Corp. traces its roots to the Missouri entrepreneur who designed the Stair-Glide® Stair Lift in 1947. While the company has had many names during nearly 60 years of operations, it's had only one mission: Providing access for people with limited mobility. The firm currently sells four types of access products—stair lifts, wheelchair lifts, limited-use/limited application (LU/LA) elevators, and home elevators. Through its network of ThyssenKrupp Access Solution Centers and dealers, the company also advises churches on how to make their worship centers accessible.

Pat Schmidt, commercial product manager at ThyssenKrupp Access Corp., estimates that only 25 percent of worship buildings are currently accessible. However, there's increased demand for access products. Schmidt notes, "Throughout the United States, as the population ages and access products become affordable, they're also becoming more common in homes and churches and in public and private buildings."

Another reason access products have become more commonplace is that the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ada) requires public buildings to provide access to those with mobility challenges. While churches are usually not considered public buildings, Schmidt encourages leaders to be proactive when considering the needs of those who visit worship centers. He points out that falls are the number one cause of injury both inside and outside of a worship center. And one of the best ways to prevent falls is to offer assistance to those who have trouble getting around, especially up and down stairs.

ThyssenKrupp Access's stair lifts are ideal solutions for older buildings with sweeping staircases up to the choir loft or down to the fellowship hall. A stair lift costs between $2,000 and $3,000 and requires nothing more than hardware installed on a few steps. The seat is attached to the hardware and the passenger maintains control at all times, moving the seat up and down the stairway.

While a stair lift works well for those who use walkers or crutches, people who rely on wheelchairs require a more extensive access solution. The next level product, suitable for both interior and exterior access, is a wheelchair lift—also called a vertical platform lift. A wheelchair lift costs approximately $7,500 to $25,000. ThyssenKrupp Access sells several models of wheelchair lifts and has significant expertise in this area, especially when it comes to churches. One-third of the firm's commercial lift sales are made to churches.

"A wheelchair lift placed outside a building is an excellent alternative to a ramp because it eliminates the need for many feet of concrete or other material which must be maintained, especially in inclement weather," says Schmidt. He estimates that the average ramp costs nearly as much to install as a wheelchair lift. Ramp costs vary according to the terrain and elevation differences between the parking lot and the building entrance. For example, to accommodate a four-foot change in elevation from the parking lot to the front door, a properly designed ramp would be 48 feet long.

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