A national disability charity has marked its 40th anniversary by launching a new online service that will offer advice and information built up over the last 40 years.
The Disabled Living Foundation’s telephone helpline answers 25, 000 queries a year, but it says its new Living Made Easy online service will help its impartial advice and information on daily living equipment reach a wider audience.
The new service already features information on more than 3, 000 products, with that eventually set to rise to 10,000.
Steve Hawe, DLF’s marketing manager, said making the charity’s information available to the public shadowed the move towards giving disabled and older people greater choice and control over their own lives.
He said: “This is why we are looking to support them by giving them as much information as we can to make informed choices.”
Chris Shaw, DLF’s chief executive, said: “Living Made Easy is unique in that it brings together information on every product available in the UK into one single place, allowing people to easily compare products and make informed decisions about what might help them.
“All the advice and information has been created by our team of expert occupational therapists so that visitors can get as much information as they need before contacting a supplier.”
The new portal – which is supported by two government departments and several companies – includes details of every product and national supplier, and rates both the quality of information provided about the product and its suppliers and manufacturers.
The site’s online community also allows visitors to rate products themselves and discuss them with other members.
The new service started with information on bathing, the bedroom, stairs and telecare. A section on equipment for disabled children and young people was launched at the Naidex exhibition in Birmingham on 28 April.
In the next year, DLF will add sections on chairs, household gadgets, eating and drinking, and toileting.
To use the service, visit www.livingmadeeasy.org.uk
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