Two Common Questions Customers Ask About Ascension Wheelchair Lifts
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Question: Why pay for an Ascension lift – or any lift – when wheelchair ramps are cheaper?
- Answer: While it’s true that a wheelchair lift – and an Ascension lift, especially – can represent a significant upfront cost, it’s important to consider the following three substantial aspects of a wheelchair ramp before going
through with an installation: - Initial Construction Costs
- Building and installing a ramp is deceptively expensive. For example, a wooden wheelchair
ramp servicing a 4-ft. stage in a community theater would require 169 sq. ft. of build space and 219 total sq. ft. of operating space (go to Access-board.gov for a breakdown of wheelchair ramp build requirements). Material costs alone for such a ramp would be in excess of $1,400, while contractor costs – frequently averaging $100 per sq. ft. or more – add another $16,900, for an approximate total cost of $18,300.
- Building and installing a ramp is deceptively expensive. For example, a wooden wheelchair
- Long-Term Costs
- In addition to the initial costs, a wheelchair ramp such as the one previously described, can cause a permanent revenue drain. The example ramp would most likely be permanently installed. At a total operating footage of 219 sq. ft., this wheelchair ramp would take up as many as 28 theater seats, at the industry standard of 8 sq. ft. per seat. Based on a 10-show season, each show with 10 performances, and at the 2016-2017 average Broadway seat price of $109, those 28 seats represent a revenue loss of $305,200 per season. However, even if the seats were priced drastically lower, such as at a $20 university price, for
example, the per-season revenue loss is still a significant $56,000. Even at the reduced price, an Ascension lift would pay for itself halfway through the season.*
- In addition to the initial costs, a wheelchair ramp such as the one previously described, can cause a permanent revenue drain. The example ramp would most likely be permanently installed. At a total operating footage of 219 sq. ft., this wheelchair ramp would take up as many as 28 theater seats, at the industry standard of 8 sq. ft. per seat. Based on a 10-show season, each show with 10 performances, and at the 2016-2017 average Broadway seat price of $109, those 28 seats represent a revenue loss of $305,200 per season. However, even if the seats were priced drastically lower, such as at a $20 university price, for
- Answer: While it’s true that a wheelchair lift – and an Ascension lift, especially – can represent a significant upfront cost, it’s important to consider the following three substantial aspects of a wheelchair ramp before going
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*Final product prices are dependent upon product model as well as product features
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- Visibility
- Returning to our example ramp, 219 sq. ft. is not insignificant, and, as such, would no doubt visually intrude, or even dominate, the space in which it was installed. Unfortunately, because the ramp is large and bulky, it draws attention to itself and those who are using it, increasing a ramp user’s anxiety and distracting everyone else. However, an Ascension wheelchair lift, contrary to wheelchair ramps and many competing lifts, is specifically designed to provide unobtrusive and non-distracting ADA-compliant event access.
- Visibility
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Question: Why are Ascension lifts so expensive? Your competitors are cheaper?
- Answer: While it’s usually true that many of our competitors’ lift models are less expensive, it is equally true that the financial compromise of purchasing a cheap lift generally equates to a substantial compromise in product-quality, as well. For example:
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Competitors often use a less-expensive screw-drive system:
Compared to Ascension’s hydraulic-drive systems, screw-drive systems are less reliable, noisier, and require more consistent maintenance, which, in turn, may drive up long-term costs.
Competitor lift designs often rely on a “machine tower” to house lifting machinery:
Ascension’s “towerless” lift designs minimize the overall size of Ascension lifts, thereby reducing necessary installation and operating space, as well as reducing visual intrusion. Conversely, “machine towers” increase a lift’s overall size, increase installation times, as well as draw attention to the lift and away from the event. Finally, “machine towers” can be difficult to see around.
Competitors’ lifts often do not provide floor-level access without installation pits:
Installation pits are a common necessity for most of our competitor’s lifts, as a method for providing floor-level access. Unfortunately, the installation-pit method requires digging a hole in the facility’s floor, both damaging the facility and increasing installation times. Conversely, Ascension lifts are designed to provide floor-level access to any event without requiring site destruction or any additional installation procedures.
Competitors often provide only a standard 2-year warranty:
At Ascension, we believe that a warranty is a direct reflection of a company’s longevity and its product quality. That’s why every Ascension wheelchair lift comes standard with a 10-year drivetrain, 4-year parts, and 90-day labor warranty. No other competing manufacturer can compare.
Finally, other lifts just look bad…
Competing wheelchair lift manufacturers design their products specifically to provide vertical accessibility at the lowest price possible – usually meeting only the bare-minimum ADA code requirements. At Ascension, we believe our clientele want and deserve more. That’s why Ascension wheelchair lifts blend superior functionality with a refined aesthetic to create a combination that is rare in the accessibility industry, but of paramount importance to our many customers in the theater, staging, and event-driven communities.
