Jackson County stretches across about 602 square miles of southern Illinois' "Little Egypt" region, from Carbondale and Murphysboro out to Ava, Campbell Hill, Grand Tower, Makanda and Vergennes. The forested Shawnee Hills run through it, so a house here might sit on a city block or at the end of a wooded rural road.
We install stair lifts in all 11 of the county's towns. This page walks through how local homes and terrain affect the choice of lift, and which state, regional and VA programs may help pay for one.
Murphysboro, the county seat, was "essentially destroyed" by the Tri-State Tornado on March 18, 1925. Much of its housing comes from the 1920s-30s rebuild, with some 19th-century survivors such as the Carpenter Gothic Robert W. Hamilton House.
Homes from those eras were built well before single-story or universal-design norms. Many have a full staircase between the living space and the bedrooms, which is exactly where a stair lift earns its keep.
Carbondale is different. Its housing is heavily shaped by Southern Illinois University students, so much of the stock is rentals. The long-term owner-occupied houses mixed in among them are often the older multi-story homes where an aging owner wants to stay.
A straight staircase with no turns or landings takes a straight stair lift, the simplest and quickest kind to install. The rail mounts to the stair treads, not the wall.
Older homes often have a landing, a turn at the top or a narrow winding run. Those need a curved lift with a rail built to that exact staircase, so we measure on site before quoting.
Across the county you will find single-family homes, detached houses, duplexes, townhouses and low-rise apartment buildings. In a townhouse or duplex the stairs are often narrow, and seat and footrest size matter as much as the rail.
According to the 2020 Census, 59.1% of county residents lived in urban areas and 40.9% in rural areas. Out past the cities, many homes sit on hillier wooded lots with porch steps or an outside stair to the main door.
An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather on those entry steps. Where someone uses a wheelchair and cannot transfer to a seat, a platform lift that carries the chair itself may be the better fit.
Both groups have specific programs below, but the rules differ a lot by age, so it pays to know which ones apply before you call.
The county's economy leans heavily on Southern Illinois University Carbondale, and datausa.io puts the median home value at $137,300. For many owners, that means looking at subsidized programs rather than home equity.
Age is the big dividing line. The Persons with Disabilities waiver requires applicants to be under 60 when they apply. People 60 and older usually start with the Senior HelpLine at (800) 252-8966, which connects them to Egyptian Area Agency on Aging.
Veterans should know that the VA HISA benefit explicitly excludes stair glides. The Southern Illinois Center for Independent Living in Carbondale is the local door to both the Home Services Program and the INCIL Home Modification Program.
A state program whose home modification examples include stair lifts by name, with funding decided per approved request through Centers for Independent Living. Call (800) 843-6154.
A Medicaid waiver for Illinois residents under age 60 at application with a severe disability; it covers physical modifications to the home, with amounts set by the individual care plan. Call (877) 581-3690.
Services for adults 60+ and caregivers, including home modification through the local Area Agency on Aging. Call the Senior HelpLine at (800) 252-8966 to be connected to Egyptian Area Agency on Aging.
A waiver for Medicaid-eligible people 60 or older that pays for in-home, adult day, emergency home response and medication dispenser services; home modifications and stair lifts are not listed. Call (800) 252-8966.
An intake program for people 60+ with non-exempt assets of $17,500 or less; its listed services do not mention home modification or stair lifts. Call (800) 252-8966.
Funds minor home modifications and repairs for older adults in its 13-county area, which includes Jackson County; stair lifts are not itemized, so ask directly. Call (618) 985-8311.
A statewide home modification program for income-qualified households with a member who has a documented disability, open to owners and renters with landlord approval; stair lifts are confirmed case by case and the waiting list is long. Call (217) 525-1308.
The Carbondale-based center serving people with disabilities in Jackson and nearby counties, and the local access point for the INCIL and Home Services programs; its page does not list stair lifts. Call (618) 457-3318.
Repair loans and grants for very-low-income owners in USDA-designated rural areas, with grants limited to homeowners 62+; stair lifts are not listed, and eligibility must be checked by address.
A VA benefit for permanent structural changes such as entrance ramps and roll-in showers, with lifetime caps of $6,800 or $2,000. It specifically excludes stair glides, so it does not cover stair lifts.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026. Stair lifts are not named among covered adaptations, so confirm with the VA.
Older adults
200 East Plaza Drive, Carterville, 62918
Veterans
1609 Edith Street, Murphysboro, 62966
Yes, possibly. The Persons with Disabilities waiver requires applicants to be under 60 at application, and the Home Services Program names stair lifts as a home modification. Call (877) 581-3690 or (800) 843-6154, or start with the Southern Illinois Center for Independent Living at (618) 457-3318.
Call the Senior HelpLine at (800) 252-8966 to be connected to Egyptian Area Agency on Aging, or call Egyptian AAA directly at (618) 985-8311. Its minor home modification program serves Jackson County, though you should ask whether a stair lift specifically would be approved.
Not through HISA, which explicitly excludes stair glides. A veteran with a qualifying severe disability can ask about SAH or SHA grants, and the IL Dept. of Veterans Affairs office in Murphysboro can be reached at (618) 684-2966.
Yes. Stairs with a landing or turn need a curved stair lift with a rail made for that staircase. We measure on site first, since many of the town's 1920s-30s and older homes have staircases that are not standard.
An outdoor stair lift can run up exterior entry steps and is built for weather. If the person uses a wheelchair and cannot move to a seat, a platform lift may suit the property better.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
