Living Made Easier
Living Made Easy is a UK charity-operated impartial online marketplace and advice platform for assistive technology and daily living equipment, serving older and disabled people, unpaid carers, occupational therapists, retailers, and local authorities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1969
- HeadquartersOldbury, United Kingdom
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Living Made Easier does
Living Made Easy is a UK-based non-profit digital marketplace and advice service operated by DLF (Disabled Living Foundation), which has been part of the Shaw Trust charity since 2014. It is described as Europe's largest impartial marketplace for aids to daily living and assistive technology, powered by a curated database of over 10,000 products maintained by more than 1,000 suppliers and over 950 national retailers. The platform serves older and disabled people, unpaid carers and families, healthcare and social care professionals (notably occupational therapists), retailers, manufacturers, and UK local authorities, with more than half of users searching on behalf of someone else.
The core product is the Living Made Easy marketplace at livingmadeeasy.org.uk, supported by a modular ecosystem: AskSARA (a guided questionnaire-based self-assessment tool licensed to local authorities), LME ProAssist (a prescribing hub for occupational therapists), LME-Data (a technical product database for safe equipment selection and justification), the LME Vendor Portal (self-service for retailers and manufacturers), You'reable (an online peer-support forum), and Trusted Assessor training programmes accredited by OCN London and CPD. All advice is written and checked by qualified occupational therapists, and the platform holds Information Standard certification for impartiality.
The organisation runs a hybrid non-profit revenue model combining a freemium retailer listing tier (free standard listings, £360+VAT/year Premium Listings), AskSARA licensing to local authorities, CPD/OCN-accredited training courses, clearly labelled advertising and sponsorship, and individual donations. Distribution is digital-first across the UK only, with event presence (e.g., the Occupational Therapy Show) and professional-body partnerships (RCOT, NAEP, TSA, UK Telehealthcare, Foundations) extending reach among both consumer and professional audiences.
Living Made Easier firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Living Made Easier
- Legal name
- Living Made Easy as part of The Shaw Trust Limited
- Website
- https://livingmadeeasy.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1969
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Living Made Easy is a UK charity-operated impartial online marketplace and advice platform for assistive technology and daily living equipment, serving older and disabled people, unpaid carers, occupational therapists, retailers, and local authorities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Living Made Easier industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Assistive Technology Information and Daily Living Equipment Marketplace
- NAICS
- Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412), Other Individual and Family Services (62419)
- SIC
- Services-Home Health Care Services (8082), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Orthopedic, Prosthetic & Surgical Appliances & Supplies (3842)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Assistive Technology, Adaptive Equipment & Home Exercise Program Training In-Home (HSABADAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Activities of Daily Living (ADL) & Self-Care Skills Training (EDAKAFAE), Personal Care & ADL Assistance (bathing, dressing, toileting, mobility) (HLADAGAA)
Keywords
Where Living Made Easier is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oldbury
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Living Made Easier business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Premium Listings for Retailers: National retailers pay £360 + VAT for 12 months of premium listing placement, giving their details prominence on product pages with unlimited product listings. Includes monthly direct debit payment option.
- Standard Product Listings: Free standard product listings for national retailers to present products with pricing and links to purchase directly through retailer websites.
- Advertising and Sponsorship: Banner campaigns, sponsorship of campaigns like the Alf Morris Fund for Independent Living, and promotional placements clearly labelled as advertisements or sponsorships.
- Training Courses: CPD-accredited training courses including Paediatric Trusted Assessor qualification, OCN Trusted Assessor Level Four qualification, and various professional development programmes. Offered UK-wide and online with tailored organisational solutions.
- AskSARA Licensing: Local authorities and organisations can licence the AskSARA guided advice tool for their communities, enabling residents to access personalised advice reports.
- Donations: Individual donations from members of the public, including one-off credit/debit card gifts and regular monthly direct debits. The organisation states it needs hundreds of thousands of pounds annually to fund services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Standard listing - Free product listings |
| Subscription | Annual | Premium Listings - £360 + VAT per year |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Training courses - Contact for pricing |
| Licensing/ royalties | Multi-year contract | AskSARA licensing - Contact for pricing |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels9 records
Living Made Easier product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Living Made Easy operates Europe's largest impartial online marketplace and advice service for assistive technology and daily living equipment, listing over 10,000 products from 1,000+ suppliers and 950+ national retailers. It provides free, OT-authored impartial advice to disabled people, older adults, carers, and healthcare professionals, supplemented by guided self-assessment (AskSARA), professional prescribing tools (LME ProAssist), technical data (LME-Data), CPD-accredited training, and retailer/manufacturer self-service tooling.
Product overview
Living Made Easy is a platform-plus-modules architecture offering a comprehensive ecosystem for assistive technology information and advice. The core product is Living Made Easy, Europe's largest impartial marketplace for aids to daily living, powered by the DLF's database of over 10,000 products from 1,000+ suppliers. AskSARA provides guided personalised advice through an interactive questionnaire. You'reable offers peer support via an online forum. LME ProAssist serves healthcare professionals as a prescribing hub. The LME Vendor Portal enables manufacturers and retailers to manage product listings. Supporting modules include Trusted Assessor Training programmes and Factsheets covering specialist equipment topics. The DLF (Disabled Living Foundation), part of Shaw Trust since 2014, has provided independent advice on assistive technology for over 50 years.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- AskSARA: Guided advice tool providing personalized advice reports through three simple steps: choose a topic, answer questions, and get advice
- You'reable
- LME ProAssist
- DLF Data
- Trusted Assessor Training
Products and services
- Living Made Easy marketplace Europe's largest impartial online marketplace of aids to daily living and assistive technology, listing over 10,000 products from 1,000+ suppliers and 950+ national retailers with expert, OT-authored advice. Free for consumers to browse, compare, and click through to retailer websites to purchase; retailers can list for free or pay for premium placement.
- AskSARA Interactive guided advice tool that delivers personalised advice reports through a three-step questionnaire (choose topic, answer questions, get advice). Available to consumers directly and licensed to UK local authorities to embed in their communities.
- LME ProAssist Professional prescribing hub powered by the same detailed product database, presenting products with greater detail for inclusion in assessment reports by occupational therapists and independent living professionals.
- LME-Data (DLF-Data) Technical version of the information and advice database, designed to support safe selection and justification of equipment and to enable professionals to research, compare options and build cases for specific equipment.
- LME Vendor Portal Self-service portal for national retailers and manufacturers to link to manufacturer products, add, amend and remove product and retailer information, and update portfolios via bulk updater.
- Trusted Assessor Training CPD- and OCN-accredited training portfolio including the Paediatric Trusted Assessor dual qualification, OCN Trusted Assessor Level Four, telecare Trusted Assessor Training, and tailored organisational solutions delivered UK-wide and online.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 1 million visitors annually (2020)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Living Made Easier
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Living Made Easier technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Living Made Easier partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Shaw TrustcoreLiving Made Easy is a programme from DLF, which became part of The Shaw Trust in 2014. Shaw Trust is a registered charity (England and Wales number 287785, Scotland number SC039856). The partnership enables information and advice to be shared through Shaw Trust's range of employment and other programmes.
- Royal College of Occupational Therapists (RCOT)coreLiving Made Easy's Trusted Assessor and AskSARA programmes were cited in RCOT's important 2019 policy document 'Adaptations without Delay'. RCOT is the professional body for occupational therapists.
- FoundationsminorFoundations advise on the promotion of Disabled Facilities Grants (DFGs) and collaborate on service development.
- NAEP (National Association of Equipment Providers)minorNAEP collaborates with Living Made Easy on ongoing service development for assistive technology.
- TSA (TEC Services Association)minorTSA collaborates with Living Made Easy on service development and holds valuable information around organisations that can help with the digital switchover.
- UK TelehealthcareminorUK Telehealthcare collaborates with Living Made Easy on ongoing service development for technology enabled care.
- National Retailers (950+)coreOver 950 national retailers list products on Living Made Easy marketplace, providing product information, pricing, and links to purchase directly. Retailers access the LME Vendor Portal to update their portfolios.
- Manufacturers of Assistive TechnologycoreManufacturers provide product information for the database. The Living Made Easy Vendor Portal will allow manufacturers to manage product listings in the future.
- OCN LondoncoreOCN London provides accreditation for Living Made Easy's Trusted Assessor training programmes, including the Level Four qualification.
- Local Authorities with AskSARA LicencescoreLocal authorities licence the AskSARA platform to provide residents with self-assessment tools. Councils including Ceredigion, Gwent, Newham, and Lambeth have implemented AskSARA to promote independent living.
- JustGivingminorJustGiving is used by Living Made Easy to process public donations through their online giving platform.
- LendoCareminorPartnership featured on Living Made Easy advice articles for mobility aid hire options and travel suggestions for electric wheelchair users.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Living Made Easier competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- AbilityNet: UK charity providing advice and information on assistive technology, particularly digital accessibility. Operates a similar charity-led, advice-centric model for disabled people, though with greater emphasis on computing/digital tools than physical daily living aids.
- NRS Healthcare: Major UK retailer of daily living aids and assistive technology that supplies local authorities and the NHS. Comparable because NRS is both a retailer partner on Living Made Easy and a competing direct-to-consumer channel for the same product categories.
- Complete Care Shop: UK online retailer of mobility, daily living, and disability aids. Comparable as a direct e-commerce competitor serving self-funding consumers and local authorities across the same assistive technology categories.
- CareCo: UK national retailer of mobility aids and daily living equipment with a strong direct-to-consumer e-commerce model. Comparable as a competing retailer also listed on the Living Made Easy marketplace, demonstrating how LME must coexist with retailer-owned channels.
- Manage At Home: UK retailer of daily living aids, mobility, and disability equipment operating both direct-to-consumer and local authority supply channels. Comparable as a parallel retailer competing for the same end customer that visits Living Made Easy.
- Disabled Living (Manchester): UK charity providing impartial information and advice on equipment for disabled children and adults, including an equipment demonstration service. Most directly comparable to Living Made Easy as a non-profit impartial advice provider in the UK assistive technology space.
Broad incumbents
- Whizz-Kidz: UK charity providing mobility equipment (primarily wheelchairs) to disabled children and young people. Comparable as a charity-sector player addressing equipment access for disabled people, though more narrowly focused on mobility.
- Newlife Foundation: UK charity providing equipment grants and advice to disabled children. Comparable as a broader charity-sector player in disability/assistive equipment, with overlapping audience (families of disabled children) and overlapping equipment categories.
Others
- Foundations (National Body for Home Improvement Agencies): UK body representing Home Improvement Agencies that deliver Disabled Facilities Grants and home adaptations. Comparable as a strategic partner and ecosystem participant in the same UK DFG/adaptations policy domain, not a direct competitor but a closely linked enabler.
Emerging players
- ATIA (Assistive Technology Industry Association): US-based industry association for assistive technology with comparable information, training, and conference offerings. Comparable as an adjacent professional/training ecosystem for the AT industry, though operating primarily in North America.
Market position
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Living Made Easier social profiles
Digital presenceLiving Made Easier compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Living Made Easier financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Living Made Easier leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Living Made Easier funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Living Made Easier M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Living Made Easier
What does Living Made Easier do?
Living Made Easy operates Europe's largest impartial online marketplace and advice service for assistive technology and daily living equipment, listing over 10,000 products from 1,000+ suppliers and 950+ national retailers. It provides free, OT-authored impartial advice to disabled people, older adults, carers, and healthcare professionals, supplemented by guided self-assessment (AskSARA), professional prescribing tools (LME ProAssist), technical data (LME-Data), CPD-accredited training, and retailer/manufacturer self-service tooling.
Is Living Made Easier a public or private company?
Living Made Easier is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Living Made Easier founded?
Living Made Easier was founded in 1969.
Where is Living Made Easier based?
Living Made Easier is headquartered in Oldbury, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Living Made Easier make money?
Six revenue lines are on record. Premium Listings for Retailers are the primary driver. The others are standard Product Listings, advertising and Sponsorship, training Courses, askSARA Licensing and donations.
Who are Living Made Easier's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are AbilityNet, NRS Healthcare, Complete Care Shop, CareCo, Manage At Home and Disabled Living (Manchester). Broad incumbents are Whizz-Kidz and Newlife Foundation. Foundations (National Body for Home Improvement Agencies) is listed as an others. ATIA (Assistive Technology Industry Association) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Living Made Easier have an API?
No public API is recorded for Living Made Easier.
What industry is Living Made Easier in?
Living Made Easier's product category is Assistive Technology Information and Daily Living Equipment Marketplace. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HSABADAN, Assistive Technology, Adaptive Equipment & Home Exercise Program Training In-Home, with a secondary code of EDAKAFAE, Activities of Daily Living (ADL) & Self-Care Skills Training. Its NAICS code is 624120 and its SIC code is 8082.