Raase Lifts started in the garage at the home of Richard and Laurie Raab, who's daughter, Jackie, has been confined to a wheelchair since childhood. Born with cerebral palsy, Jackie often faced access issues. As a working adult and living at home, Jackie's independence was restricted by her inability to have safe access in and out of her home. After much research for affordable, functional access equipment needed by Jackie, it was evident that nothing existed in the current market place that would allow her and individuals like her, to independently and safely enter and exit her home.
Richard visualized a four-by-eight foot sheet of plywood anchored at the door sill and a mechanism that would raise the opposite end up until the plywood was parallel to the door sill. Richard then partnered with Dennis Hase, a mechanical design engineering specialist, to develop this concept and bring this unique product to reality. Using Intergraph Microstation Software, positions of the wheelchair on the lift ramp were simulated and dimensions, angles, and tolerances were defined prior to manufacturing. In June of 1995, the first prototype unit was completed and was a total functional unit. Jackie began using the unit that same year and continues to use the same unit today.
With Jackie's day-to-day utilization of the lift, improvements were made to make the unit more user friendly and the second generation design was completed in 1998. This unit received the Wisconsin Governor's New Product Award that same year. The lift ramp was test marketed at the 1998 Atlanta Medtrade Show and received outstanding dealer acceptance. Since then, a third generation design program has been undertaken with an objective to reduce manufacturing costs. This third generation unit is the Lift Ramp we are currently marketing to the public. In September of 1999, a United States Patent was granted to Raase Lifts, Inc.
During the Spring of 2003, Richard resigned from his full-time position as president of a manufacturing company to pursue his dream of creating a company to manufacture and market the Simplicity Wheelchair Lift Ramp - the wheelchair ramp that lifts. The third generation was officially debuted at the 2003 Atlanta and 2004 Las Vegas Medtrade Shows. Many dealers marveled and were delighted with the functionality and simplicity of the Lift Ramp.
The targeted market for the Simplicity Wheelchair Lift Ramp is the replacement of the fabricated home wooden wheelchair ramps. The Simplicity Wheelchair Lift Ramp is cost competitive and can be installed in a fraction of the time needed to fabricate a wooden wheelchair ramp, which further lowers the cost to the end user. The wooden wheelchair ramp leaves the user with an access tool that is ill designed and demonstrates poor functionality, while consuming valuable yard or storage space and offers no mechanical assistance to navigate.
Raase Lifts, Inc., with the Simplicity Wheelchair Lift Ramp, is positioned to meet the demands and requirements of the growing market that will serve the physically challenged.
