In Oak Hill, Fayetteville, Ansted and Mount Hope, many houses sit on hillside lots, with a run of steps up from the road and more stairs once you get inside. A lot of that housing goes back to the county's coal-camp and early mining-town days, when builders set homes into the slope and stacked rooms on several levels.
That layout makes daily life harder for someone whose knees or balance are giving out. It also shapes what kind of stair lift will work. Below we walk through the homes and terrain we see across Fayette County's 17 towns, from Montgomery and Smithers to Meadow Bridge and Gauley Bridge, and the programs worth calling before you pay out of pocket.
Fayette County covers 668 square miles of the Appalachian Plateau, cut deep by the New River Gorge and the Gauley River area. Houses built into those slopes often have long front stairs before you ever reach the door.
An outdoor stair lift is built for that job, with a weather-resistant rail and seat. If the outside steps turn or have a landing partway up, the rail has to follow that path. For someone who uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may make more sense than a seat.
The older multi-story frame houses common in the county seat area and the former coal camps often have narrow, steep stairways. A single straight flight usually takes a straight rail, which is the simplest and quickest install.
Stairs that turn, have a landing or wind around a corner need a curved rail made to fit that staircase. Split-level homes add another wrinkle, since short flights between levels may each need their own lift. Newer construction near the New River Gorge tourism corridor tends to have more standard stairways, but we still measure every home before recommending anything.
About 23.3% of Fayette County residents are 65 or older, and 69.0% of households own their homes. That means many people here are aging in houses they plan to stay in, which is exactly where a stair lift helps.
Household incomes are modest too, with a median around $31,912, so the help programs below matter for many families.
None of the state and nonprofit programs listed below name stair lifts outright, but several fund home modifications or accessibility devices. The way to find out is to call and describe the stairs and the person's needs.
A good first call is Central WV Aging Services in Oak Hill at (304) 465-0885, which can point you toward state programs. The Region III - WVDA Southern AAA can be reached at (304) 340-3501. Veterans can contact the Beckley – West Virginia Department of Veterans Assistance at (304) 256-6955. The West Virginia Technology-Related Assistance Revolving Loan Fund is another statewide program to ask about.
A statewide Medicaid waiver for adults 18+ who meet Medicaid financial rules and nursing-facility level of care; it covers Environmental Accessibility Adaptations to the home, though the source does not name stair lifts. Call (866) 767-1575.
Open to people 60+ who can show a need for home modifications or accessibility devices to live more independently; the source does not list stair lifts specifically. Call (866) 981-2372.
Helps people with disabilities with ramps, bathroom changes and other accessibility modifications, and may have a waiting list when funds run out; stair lifts are not named. Fayette County applicants can call (304) 962-0005.
Offers 1% loans up to $40,000 and, for homeowners 62+, grants up to $10,000 for repairs in eligible rural areas with income at or below 50% of Area Median Income; stair lifts are not mentioned by the source. Call (304) 284-4860.
Pays for permanent alterations such as ramps and roll-in showers, up to $6,800 or $2,000 lifetime depending on disability status. It does not cover stair lifts, since it excludes stair glides.
Grants for veterans with qualifying severe service-connected disabilities, up to $126,526 for SAH and $25,350 for SHA in FY2026, to modify a home for accessibility. The source does not name stair lifts among example modifications.
A local senior-services provider in Oak Hill offering companion care, personal care, meals and transport, and a referral point to state programs; it does not list a stair lift grant. Call (304) 465-0885.
Older adults
1900 Kanawha Blvd. East, Charleston, 25305
Veterans
109 Randolph Street, Beckley, 25801
The West Virginia Aged and Disabled Waiver (ADW) covers Environmental Accessibility Adaptations that improve access to and within the home. The source does not name stair lifts, so call (866) 767-1575 and ask whether a stair lift qualifies in your case.
Yes, possibly. The ADW waiver starts at age 18, and the Mountain State Centers for Independent Living program serves people with disabilities of any age. Fayette County residents can reach that program at (304) 962-0005.
No. HISA excludes removable equipment such as stair glides and porch lifts. Veterans with severe service-connected disabilities can ask about the SAH and SHA grants, or call the Beckley veterans office at (304) 256-6955.
Yes. Outdoor stair lifts are made for exterior steps, and the rail can follow a turn or landing. If the person uses a wheelchair, a platform lift may fit better.
Most of unincorporated Fayette County and its smaller towns fall within the rural areas the program serves, but each address must be checked with the USDA Property Eligibility Tool. Call (304) 284-4860 to confirm.
Central WV Aging Services on East Main Street in Oak Hill, at (304) 465-0885, can steer older adults toward the right state programs. The Bureau of Senior Services home modification program is at (866) 981-2372.
Tell us about the stairs in your home and we will explain which lift fits, what it costs and how installation works.
