Orange County sits in the geographic center of Vermont, spread across about 692 square miles of hilly, forested Green Mountain foothills. Its 18 towns run from Randolph and Williamstown on the western side to Bradford, Newbury, Fairlee and Wells River along the Connecticut River corridor, with places like Chelsea, Tunbridge, Corinth and Vershire tucked in the hills between.
Many of those towns sit well away from Interstate 89 and Interstate 91, so a visit from an installer or a program intake worker can mean a longer drive. That makes it worth knowing what kind of lift your stairs need, and which local offices to call, before anyone comes out to measure.
Most homes here are single-family houses, detached houses and farmhouses, with some split-level homes and walk-up apartments mixed in. Each of these shapes the lift choice in a different way.
A single straight flight from the first floor to the bedrooms is the simplest case, and a straight rail usually fits. Older farmhouses often have stairs that turn at a landing or wind as they climb, and those need a curved rail built to the exact shape of the staircase.
Split-level homes tend to have several short flights instead of one long one. Sometimes a short straight lift on the flight used most is enough, and sometimes it makes sense to look at a platform lift for a few steps.
Chelsea has been the Orange County shire town since 1795, and its village is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The two town commons, one beside the two-story white clapboard Orange County Courthouse built in 1847 and the other beside a congregational church, give the center a 19th-century county-seat feel.
Older houses in village cores like this often have narrow, steep staircases and original woodwork that owners want to protect. A stair lift rail mounts to the stair treads rather than the wall, so the plaster and trim usually stay untouched, but tight stairways need careful measuring for knee and shoulder room.
In hill country, the hardest stairs are sometimes the ones outside: steep porch steps, a stoop above a sloped yard, or a walk down to a lower door. An outdoor stair lift is built to handle weather, and a vertical platform lift can carry a wheelchair or walker up to a porch.
Since 81.1% of households in Orange County own their homes, most families can make these changes without asking anyone's permission. Renters in walk-up apartments will need the landlord's approval before any rail goes in.
About 22.9% of the county's 29,933 residents are 65 or older, so a lot of families are thinking about the stairs right now. Often it is an adult child who notices a parent starting to avoid the second floor.
The Vermont Veterans Outreach office at 99 Fairground Road in Bradford, (802) 338-4324, is a local place to ask which VA benefits apply.
The 2010 Census put the county's median household income at $52,079, and 10.0% of residents lived below the poverty line, so many households look for help before paying out of pocket. None of the programs below name stair lifts in their published materials, and one VA grant excludes them outright, so expect coverage to be decided case by case.
The Central Vermont Council on Aging is the Area Agency on Aging for Orange County and a good first call. Its office is at 59 N. Main St., Suite 200, Barre, VT 05641, phone (802) 479-0531, and it can point you toward Choices for Care and other funding.
For homeowners, the Green Mountain Home Repair Program offers grants up to $5,000 and loans up to $20,000 for repairs that include accessibility modifications. Statewide, the Vermont Independence Fund (Assistive Technology Loan) is another name worth asking about.
A Vermont Medicaid program for residents 18+ who need help with daily activities but are not at nursing-home level of care, with an income limit of $2,982/month for an individual and an asset limit of $10,000. Its flexible funds list home modifications and assistive devices, but stair lifts are not named; call (800) 642-5119.
Medicaid long-term care at home for seniors 65+ and adults 18+ with physical disabilities who meet nursing-facility level of care, with an income limit of $2,982/month. Home modifications such as ramps and grab bars are listed, stair lifts are not, and waiting lists are possible; call (800) 479-6151.
The local Area Agency on Aging for all Orange County towns except Thetford, offering information, referral, case management and Choices for Care coordination. It is not a direct grant and its materials do not mention stair lifts; call (802) 477-1364.
A nonprofit home-repair program for homeowner-occupants in Washington, Orange and Lamoille counties, with grants up to $5,000 and loans up to $20,000. Accessibility modifications are a funded category, though stair lifts are not named; call (802) 476-4493.
Federal repair loans and grants for very-low-income homeowners in USDA-eligible rural parts of Orange County; current dollar limits should be confirmed directly. Stair lifts are not mentioned in the source; call (802) 461-6051.
A statewide grant program for low-income Vermonters with physical disabilities, focused on home entry and bathroom accessibility work, with award amounts set after a home assessment. Stair lifts are not mentioned; call (800) 639-1522.
A lifetime VA grant of up to $6,800 or $2,000, depending on disability status, for medically necessary structural changes to a veteran's home. Stair glides and porch lifts are specifically excluded, so it does not cover a stair lift; call (800) 827-1000.
VA grants for veterans with specific severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA (FY2026), to buy, build or adapt a home. Ramps and widened doorways are given as examples, stair lifts are not named; call (800) 827-1000.
Older adults
59 N. Main St., Suite 200, Barre, 05641
Veterans
99 Fairground Road, Bradford, 05033
Possibly, but it is not promised. Both Choices for Care groups fund home modifications through an individual care plan, and the published materials do not name stair lifts, so the case manager decides case by case.
It serves all towns in Orange County except Thetford. Everyone else can call the Barre office at (802) 479-0531 or the helpline at (802) 477-1364.
No. The VA lists stair glides and porch lifts among the items HISA excludes. The SAH and SHA grants do not name stair lifts either, so ask the VA at (800) 827-1000 or Vermont Veterans Outreach in Bradford at (802) 338-4324.
Yes. The Choices for Care Moderate Needs Group is open to Vermont residents 18 and older, and the Highest Needs Group includes adults 18+ with physical disabilities. Income and asset limits apply.
Usually, yes. Stairs that turn or wind need a curved rail made to fit that staircase, while a single straight flight can take a straight rail.
The Green Mountain Home Repair Program serves homeowner-occupants in Washington, Orange and Lamoille counties, with grants up to $5,000 and loans up to $20,000 that can include accessibility modifications. Call (802) 476-4493 to ask whether your project qualifies.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
