A wheelchair with an automatic seat lift mechanism is disclosed. The wheelchair includes a seat that is connected to a lift mechanism. The lift mechanism is connected to a pump that is driven by a motor, wherein the pump is an electrical pump or a hydraulic pump. In one embodiment, the motor is actuated via a hand held controller having a joystick thereon. The joystick can be used to change the height and position of the seat so as to ease the process of getting into and out of the wheelchair. When the seat is in an elevated position, the armrests of the wheelchair can be pivoted upward so that they do not interfere with the movement of the seat. The seat can be positioned adjacent to a bed or another supporting surface so that the wheelchair user can slide onto or off of the seat without being lifted.
