Three new areas added to 'Living made easy'

[dlfteam]

National charity DLF has launched three new sections in its impartial advice and information website on daily living equipment ‘Living made easy’ (www.livingmadeeasy.org.uk) and will be showing them at NAIDEX National which takes place in Birmingham from 5th-7th April.

As well as tonnes of useful advice written by DLF’s team of occupational therapists on equipment, you’ll find details of every item available in the UK in the following areas:

• Communication – all types of communication equipment including products for vision, hearing computer use and telephone and intercoms systems, with equipment to help with reading, writing and speech coming soon
• Clothing and footwear - information on a range of clothing and footwear for people with disabilities, as well as equipment to assist with dressing
• Mobility and walking – now includes information on mobility scooters, buggies and scooter accessories as well as equipment for walking and standing

DLF is the UK’s leading source of impartial information and expert advice on daily living equipment to help older and disabled people continue to live full and independent lives and stay in their own homes for as long as possible. ‘Living made easy’ is its flagship website, containing comprehensive independent information on all items of daily living equipment. It features product information, details of where you can buy them, video clips and plenty of helpful advice from DLF’s team of occupational therapists. Visitors can also ask DLF’s occupational therapists questions about equipment in the website’s discussion forum and post product reviews.

You can see the new sections for yourself at NAIDEX National by visiting DLF’s stand (A35), where it will once again be acting as the Information Point.

Chris Shaw, DLF’s Chief Executive, says “With the introduction of these three new sections we are now close to the completion of ‘Living made easy’. We are very pleased that all the hard work developing the site is now paying off and the information it provides is helping hundreds of thousands of older and disabled people find equipment that helps them live independently for longer”.

‘Living made easy' is funded by the Big Lottery Fund, the Department of Health, the Department of Education, and industry and charitable supporters including AJ Way, AKW MediCare, ArjoHuntleigh, Centromed UK, co-operative Xest, the Freemasons Grand Charity, Hill-rom, Home Retail Group, Kingkraft, Kirton Healthcare, Mangar International, Mountway, Nottingham Rehab Supplies, Stannah Stairlifts, Sensory +, Simplyhealth and Theraposture.

The Big Lottery Fund distributes half of the National Lottery good cause funding across the UK. The Fund is committed to bringing real improvements to communities and the lives of people most in need.

[Lighttouch]

[*]Mobility and walking – now includes information on mobility scooters, buggies and scooter accessories as well as equipment for walking and standing

‘Living made easy’ is its flagship website, containing comprehensive independent information on all items of daily living equipment.

These three new sections we are now close to the completion of ‘Living made easy’.

‘Living made easy' is funded by the Big Lottery Fund, the Department of Health, the Department of Education, and industry and charitable supporters including AJ Way, AKW MediCare, ArjoHuntleigh, Centromed UK, co-operative Xest, the Freemasons Grand Charity, Hill-rom, Home Retail Group, Kingkraft, Kirton Healthcare, Mangar International, Mountway, Nottingham Rehab Supplies, Stannah Stairlifts, Sensory +, Simplyhealth and Theraposture.[/QUOTE].

Well this certainly all looks very impressive on paper and it gives jobs for the boys. I was so impressed I thought I'd check out your section on crutch ferrules. I phoned the supplier who was very off hand and dismissive then sad they no longer traded.

So my question would be who did you buy the supplier lists from. How often are the suppliers audited to make sure they are still in business. For an all singing dancing launch - a bit disappointing DLF

Here's the supplier you need to scratch.

Manufacturer's contact details
Stepsafe Ltd
Coronation House
41 High Street
Swaffham Bulbeck
Cambridge
CB5 0HP
(01223) 811650
info@stepsafe.org
www.stepsafe.org

[dlfteam]

Thanks for the feedback. I've asked our data administration team to contact the manufacturer.

With regards to our information, DLF did not buy the suppliers list from anyone - it is our own data that we have built up over the last 40 years. We have about 14,000 products in the database from about 1,700 national suppliers and have a web-based system that allows suppliers to keep their information up-to-date - price, availability etc. We also have a small team of people who aim to contact all the suppliers who meet our standards periodically and deal with any corrections that are flagged up to us. However, the onus is very much on suppliers to help keep their information up-to-date as at the end of the day they are the ones who respond to enquiries from prospective customers - with the website getting 800,000 visits a year we encourage them to make sure their information is as accurate as possible.

Thanks again for your feedback.

DLF Team

[Lighttouch]

Over 2200 hits a day sounds impressive. But remember you might be getting the same client returning to look three times a day which would make just over 1400 visitors a day.

I'm interested in DLF - how transparent are you with other statistics.

For example how diverse is your workforce - how big is the company?. Do you employ any people who consider
themselves to be disabled?
If you do have any disabled staff what grade are they on.

Could there be a page where we can see photos and names of the staff.

Perhaps you could ask your CEO what he thinks of my ideas.

Thanks

Lighttouch

[dlfteam]

Hi Lighttouch

Actually our unique web stats are a bit better than that - for example yesterday 'Living made easy' had over 2,600 visitors and nearly 2,500 unique visits so it's quite a high % of unique visits. Weekend days and public holidays are lower, which lowers the average over the year of course.

With regards to DLF, we currently have approx. 30 people working here but this does vary with funding levels (some times people are funded to do specific time-limited projects etc.). You can find out more about us in our Annual Review and latest audited accounts at http://www.dlf.org.uk/content/annual-review.

We were not set up as a user-led organisation but we do have some disabled staff. We also try to involve people who use our services (people with disabilities, carers, older people) in the development of our services through user-testing of our web services etc.

We have thought about having a page for at least Trustees and senior management team (we'd need permission from all other staff and it would also probably be more time-consuming to keep up-to-date) so I'll pass the suggestion on.

Thanks for the feedback.

DLF Team

[Lighttouch]

some disabled staff[/B]. We also try to involve people who use our services (people with disabilities, carers, older people) in the development of our services through user-testing of our web services etc.

You see I have a problem here - first 'terminology' on page 13 in the heading you use the wording 'people with disabilities' - wrong! That sounds like we amble about and that we can hang up our disabilities like an umbrella! Because our impairments are integral to us we need to embrace them and be proud as to who we are. A preffered term is 'disabled people'.

Second. You receive charitable donations and legacies from thoughtful people. I think you're doing a good job by acting as a one-stop-shop resource centre. However I didn't think your profile is very high. You need to market your services better through appropriate channels of communication.

Three. Considering your 30 staff make a living out of other peoples misfortune I think it only right that you should offer apprenticeship courses for young disabled people with an aim of giving them some confidence and training. Don't tell me you can't afford it. Volunteers are all very well but it doesn't beat having a proper salary.

Your HR people shold set targets like 5% of staff should be disabled people. Your organisation needs to review it's policiees and procedures in view of the massive changes to the Welfare reform - you're not an island - stand up to your responsibilities and help embrace change by acting responsibly.

Thank you

Lighttouch

[andypandy]

Perhaps 5% of disabled people don't apply for the jobs though LT, you can't drag them off the streets LOL

[Lighttouch]

Hi AP true. But for young disabled people just setting off on life's little adventure - if the can and want to work DLF should at lease be forward thinking and offer things like this. If they don't - nobody will.

You wouldn't need to drag disabled people off the street - it would be up to promote this positive campaign. It would demonstrate that they are are equal opportunities organisation. It enhances their image as a company of choice by disabled people.

They could help set the standard. There are only problems if you make problems.

The Trustees should see this as a positive opportunity to put something back into society.

Well that's me done - I'll get off my soap box now.

Thank you.