What is a DDA Compliant Lift?

There’s still a good way to go before the UK achieves full equality for everyone, but we have made huge strides, as a society, over the past 20 years. This is largely due to the Disability Discrimination Act which was passed in in 1995, and then superseded by the Equality Act which passed into law in 2010.

Access Prior to DDA

Prior to the DDA, millions of people with impaired mobility would daily struggle to access public transport, multi-storey buildings, or educational centres. The impact of this was a huge loss to business and retail, not to mention the stress caused to people who had to fight to participate in every area of society.

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Call us today on 01525 601099 for more information on our DDA compliant lift design and installation services.

What Difference Did DDA Make?

A key date for the lift installation sector is the 1995 DDA statement requiring that all building owners make reasonable adequate provision for disabled access. The requirement was amended to a ‘duty’ in 2005, and in 2007 the Commission for Equality and Human Rights made a further amendment. They strengthened the wording of the Act by requiring that all buildings open to the public ensured equal access to all services.

The DDA Drives Lift Innovation

Large-scale social change takes a long time to filter into every aspect of our lives, but by 2007 building owners were beginning to embrace the idea of ‘inclusive buildings’. This translated into a massive spike in demand for DDA compliant lifts. In response, the lift industry began to develop an innovative range of vertical transport that fulfilled a new set of criteria:

  • Installation in buildings without a lift shaft.
  • Affordable for every kind of public building.
  • Flexible use on public transport, split level flooring, and short flights of stairs.
  • Available to wheelchair users.

Platform Lift Installations

The platform lift has been developed solely to provide affordable vertical transport for any environment. They are now available in a range of different sizes.  They can be big enough to carry two wheelchair users through 2 or more floors using an enclosed shaft.

Platform lifts are also used to carry people up stairways, over split level flooring, or onto public transport. The stepless platform lift can be used to travel up a small flight of stairs. Most important, platform lifts are adaptable, good looking,  and can be used indoors or out.

Tower Lifts Installs Bespoke Platform Lifts

For over a decade now, Tower Lifts has lead the design and installation of bespoke DDA compliant lifts. Whilst the majority of those are platform lifts, we also provide DDA compliant passenger lifts such as our Fairlop Waters installation. This sports facility in Redbridge, Essex used a Sports England award to ensure equal access for all local residents to their ‘Activation’ campaign.

When installing a DDA compliant lift there are a range of features we can include to improve the access potential for everyone wishing to using facility. These include:

  • Handrails.
  • Easy to use, brightly lit controls.
  • A clear approach to the lift.
  • Clear and easy-to-see signage.
  • Good quality lighting.
  • Stopping accuracy.

Tower Lifts are Leaders in Passenger Safety

Our lift design and installation team are highly skilled engineers with years of experience in vertical transport. Passenger safety drives every decision we make, and is the goal of each and every installation. Beyond that, we create elegant vertical transport solutions that provide every passenger with the same quality of experience, and level of access to buildings and services.

Tower Lifts installers also provide a range of lift services including:

Domestic Lifts • Food Lifts • Bespoke Platform Lifts • Service Lifts • Platform Lifts • Goods Lifts • Scenic Lifts • Heavy Duty / Car Lifts • Passenger Lifts • Dumbwaiter Lifts • MRL Lifts • Fire lifts • Residential Lifts • low-Headroom Lifts