Disabled Living Foundation

What Disabled Living Foundation does

Disabled Living Foundation (DLF) is a UK-registered non-profit (operating as a programme of Shaw Trust, charities commission numbers 287785 England/Wales and SC039856 Scotland) that has delivered impartial advice on disability and independent-living equipment for more than 50 years since its founding in 1969. Its commercial-facing platform, Living Made Easy, is a web-based directory of aids, gadgets, devices and equipment spanning categories from gardening and cookery to cycling and photography, complemented by AskSARA, a guided self-assessment tool that walks users through topic selection, a questionnaire, and a personalised advice report. The third core offering is the Paediatric Trusted Assessor course, a dual-qualification training programme (CPD-accredited Paediatric Trusted Assessor plus OCN Trusted Assessor Level Four) targeted at healthcare professionals and dedicated parents/carers.

The underlying technology stack is conventional and content-led: a website (livingmadeeasy.org.uk) hosting the product directory and AskSARA questionnaire flow, with supporting content marketing (advice articles on topics such as the 2027 digital switchover) and social channels (LinkedIn showcase, Facebook). There is no disclosed API, SDK, or native mobile application, and no AI/ML modalities are referenced. Distribution is primarily self-serve online, supplemented by physical presence at the Occupational Therapy Show at Birmingham's NEC (stand A12, November) and email enquiries routed via [email protected].

DLF's revenue model is a hybrid suited to its charitable status: affiliate or referral commissions when users purchase listed products through retailer links on the directory; fees from the accredited Paediatric Trusted Assessor training programme; donations solicited via the website; and historically grant funding such as the SBRI Healthcare award in March 2014 (~$139,532). Pricing for the advisory service itself is not disclosed publicly. The organisation serves three primary personas — older and disabled individuals seeking practical solutions, unpaid carers (over half of users, per company disclosure), and healthcare professionals (particularly in paediatrics) — across the United Kingdom, and operates with 11–50 employees.

Name

Disabled Living Foundation

Legal name

Shaw Trust

Website

https://dlf.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Disabled Living Foundation is a UK non-profit (part of Shaw Trust) operating the Living Made Easy directory, AskSARA self-assessment tool, and Paediatric Trusted Assessor training to provide impartial advice on assistive equipment for older and disabled individuals, unpaid carers, and healthcare professionals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability and Independent Living Information Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Orthopedic, Prosthetic & Surgical Appliances & Supplies (3842)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Assistive Solutions (Accessibility, Assistive Tech) (BPAGALAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

Keywords

• Independent living aids
• Disability advice services
• Assistive technology directory
• Trusted assessor training
• Daily living equipment

Headquarters

HQ city

Wandsworth

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Affiliate/Referral Commerce: The directory lists products that can be purchased with a click and delivered to homes, suggesting affiliate or referral revenue from retailers when users purchase recommended items.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Disabled Living Foundation operates the Living Made Easy online directory that lists and describes daily living equipment and aids for disabled and older people. It also delivers the AskSARA personalised online advice tool, which guides users through self-assessment and recommends suitable products, and offers the Paediatric Trusted Assessor training course for occupational therapists and healthcare professionals.

Product overview

Disabled Living Foundation operates Living Made Easy as a unified platform providing impartial advice and information on aids and equipment for independent living. The core offering includes the Living Made Easy directory for exploring and purchasing assistive products, complemented by AskSARA (a guided self-assessment tool for personalized recommendations) and the Paediatric Trusted Assessor Course (a professional training programme offering dual qualifications). The platform serves both individual users and professionals, with content covering digital switchover guidance and resources for unpaid carers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AskSARA: Personalised advice tool with three simple steps to get a customised advice report

Products and services

• Living Made Easy

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Shaw TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiving Made Easy is a programme from DLF (Disabled Living Foundation), which is part of Shaw Trust. Shaw Trust is a registered charity in England and Wales (number 287785) and Scotland (number SC039856). The organisation believes everyone has the right to live a decent and dignified life, challenges inequality, and works to break down barriers to enable social mobility.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves1 record

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• AbilityNet: UK charity helping disabled adults and older people use digital technology, with advice, training, and assessments. Comparable to DLF in mission (disability access, impartial advice) and target user, but specialises in digital/tech accessibility rather than physical assistive equipment.

Direct peers

• NRS Healthcare: Major UK retailer and supplier of daily living aids, mobility equipment, and disability products, with significant NHS and local authority contracts. Comparable as a UK-focused commercial provider of the same assistive equipment category that DLF's directory indexes.
• Complete Care Shop: UK online retailer of mobility, disability, and independent living products targeted at carers, older adults, and disabled individuals. Overlaps with Living Made Easy in audience (carers and self-purchasers) and product catalogue scope.
• Independent Living: UK-based online directory and retailer of disability and mobility equipment with impartial advice content. Closely comparable to Living Made Easy because it serves the same unpaid-carer and disabled-individual audience with product listings, advice, and links to purchase daily living aids.
• Mobility Smart: UK online retailer of mobility aids, daily living equipment, and disability products aimed at older and disabled consumers and their carers. Direct competitor in the same product discovery and purchase journey that Living Made Easy facilitates.

Broad incumbents

• Versus Arthritis: UK charity providing information, support, and resources for people with arthritis, including guidance on daily living aids and equipment. Comparable to DLF as a trusted information provider on independent living aids, though narrower in condition focus.
• Age UK: Major UK charity for older adults providing information, advice, products, and local services including equipment and aids for independent living. Comparable to DLF in addressing the older-adult independent-living segment but operates at significantly greater scale and breadth.
• RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People): Large UK sight-loss charity providing advice, products, and services for blind and partially sighted people, including product directories and independent living support. Comparable to DLF in the advice-and-resource model but narrower in disability focus and much larger in scale.
• Alzheimer's Society: Major UK dementia charity providing advice, information, and products to support people with dementia and their carers, including aids for daily living. Comparable to DLF in serving older/disabled users and unpaid carers via trusted advice and equipment guidance.

Others

• Carers UK: UK national charity supporting unpaid carers with information, advice, and policy advocacy. Comparable as a complementary information and advice provider serving the same unpaid-carer segment that makes up over half of Living Made Easy's users.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/AskLivingMadeEasy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/disabled-living-foundation

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Disabled Living Foundation