Looking for anyone with experience of dealing with mobility scooters in a social housing environment and the potential for lift door damage or failure through impact.

Have been told there are specialist lift doors that crumple like a modern vehicle to absorb impact forces, but that potentially destroys the door which then requires replacement. In a tower block this is likely to make headlines if lifts are put out of action for any time. Also the prospect of a door failing and persons falling down the lift shaft is a nightmare scenario.

Would appreciate any experiences or advice please.

I have considerable second hand experience of mobility scooters accessing lifts, and a lot depends on the type of sensors fitted to the doors, and how the doors respond to obstructions. Good sensors would cover the whole height of the doors, good door response would make the doors retract with minimal contact. Generally there should be few problems in most places, provided that the above issues have been taken into account. I would add that there is a potential additional issue when guide/assistance dogs are also present, which will increasingly be the case. Getting a scooter and a dog into a lift requires a lot of care and attention. Get it badly wrong and the dog will be killed. Good sensors and door response are even more important in this case. It would help in places like supermarkets, or other places, if those responsible kept the lobby area clear, as there needs to be room to move into position or exit the lift. I mention supermarkets, as they are notorious for putting stock all over the place, rather than confining it to where it is supposed to be, on the shelves.

More likely to be an assistance dog than a guide dog, just covering the options.