If your lift leaves you halfway to the street
Many older lifts stop at the mezzanine and leave a few steps down to the entrance hall. For anyone in a wheelchair, with a pushchair or who finds stairs hard, that half-floor is everything.
The half-floor problem
It’s a very common situation in older buildings: the lift doesn’t go down to street level but stops at a mezzanine, and to get out to the entrance hall you still have to manage a few steps. For many people, that short stretch is an impassable barrier:
- The lift doesn’t reach the entrance hall.
- There are steps between the lift and the street.
- With a wheelchair, walking frame or pushchair, there’s no way to get past them.
There are two solutions, depending on the building. The first is to extend the lift’s travel down to street level, so it arrives directly at the entrance hall. The second, when that isn’t feasible, is to install a platform lift to cover those steps. During the visit we look at the pit and the structure and tell you which one suits your case.
This type of work usually qualifies for accessibility grants in Catalonia. We’ll tell you which ones you can apply for.
Frequently asked questions
Can the lift always be brought down to street level?
Not always: it depends on the pit available and the structure of the building. When it isn’t possible, the alternative is a platform lift. We’ll assess it during the visit.
Are there grants for this?
Yes, it’s accessibility work, and in Catalonia there are grants from the Generalitat and from a number of local councils.
How much building work does it involve?
It depends on the solution. Extending the lift’s travel involves more work than installing a platform lift. In the study we give you realistic timescales and scope.