A stair lift is usually controlled from the chair or platform. You can choose to go up and down, the speed of the lift and putting in on break. Usually it would be some kind of joystick that you move up and down. Many stair lifts also have remote controls that you can use to move the elevator up and down. The advantage of this is that you can use the stair lift to move items up and down the stairs. For elderly and disabled persons this is a great advantage. It is also useful to be able to move the chair down to you from a distance so it’s already there when you reach the stairs.