Stair Lifts

A stair lift carries a seated person up and down a flight of stairs on a rail fixed to the stair. Ontario's elevating-devices regulation (O. Reg. 209/01) lists stair chair lifts as lifts for persons with physical disabilities, but it does not apply to devices in a private dwelling house used only by the people who live there and their guests, unless the owner asks in writing for it to apply. TSSA's own page repeats that exemption and adds that exempt devices may be regulated by other bodies.

That exemption depends on how the house is used. A home that is rented, shared or open to the public may not count as a private dwelling house; TSSA publishes a questionnaire for that question.

Stair lifts are not on either of the City of Ottawa's permit lists. Ask the City if the work changes the stair, the walls or the floor.

Funding to check: the March of Dimes Home and Vehicle Modification Program lists stairlifts, Ontario Renovates lists chair lifts, and the CRA's medical expense list includes a power-operated stair chair with a prescription. The federal Home Accessibility Tax Credit lets an eligible person claim up to $20,000 of eligible expenses a year. Each program decides eligibility.

Published guides put a straight stair lift at about $3,000 to $6,000 installed and a curved one at about $10,000 to $15,000 or more. Which device suits the person who will use it is a question for them and whoever advises them, not for this site.