About Disabled Living Foundation

There are 8.6 million adults and almost 400,000 children with disabilities in the UK.

Many could benefit from equipment designed to help them live independent lives. This need will grow as the population ages, expectations rise, and technological and medical sciences advance.

The Disabled Living Foundation has been working as a charity in support of people with disabilities, and older people, for 30 years. Its goal is to enhance opportunities for people living with disabilities to lead productive and independent lives, and to confront barriers to their exclusion from full civic life.

In large part this is achieved through its Advice Services comprising a telephone/e-mail/letter advice line, and an Equipment Demonstration Centre.

Up to 30,000 people a year seek the charity's advice. Its 'interaction' with them combined with its experience and knowledge about equipment means it is presented with thousands of problems requiring a solution. The charity's advice is highly informed and comprehensive, benefiting people with disabilities as well as allied health professionals and carers. The DLF listens, learns and shares what it learns.

The DLF maintains and publishes the only comprehensive data-base (DLF Data) of disability equipment in the UK. Totally impartial, continuously updated with the latest developments, its data provides full and detailed descriptions of 13,000 pieces of equipment together with contact details of up to 2,000 manufacturers and suppliers, 1,000 retailers and up to 1,000 related organisations and self help groups.

This data is a vital tool for the charity's Advice Services who refer to it for all enquiries from members of the public. Eighty percent of the 1,200 annual subscribers to its data are in the NHS or other allied services - so information 'cascades' down to the people who need it most.

The DLF is the only charity that specialises in equipment advice on all products, ensuring that disabled people have the widest and most comprehensive information which will enable them to make informed choices to meet their life style needs.

The DLF Helpline and Equipment Demonstration Centre

Each year 30,000 people have access to immediate advice and specialist information via the DLF's Helpline and DLF Data which is accessible on its web site and is also available on CD Rom or in printed format as the Hamilton Index.

The DLF Disability Equipment Centre is one of the largest centres in the UK and is the only one in central London with more than 800 current items of disability equipment. The charity also have accessible training and conference facilities and runs a comprehensive programme of courses for healthcare professionals and carers.

Your support will ensure that the DLF can go on providing services free of charge to the public.

Helpline Number 0845 130 9177 (calls are charged at local rates)
Book an appointment 0207 432 8015 (Drop-in's Welcome)
Both the Helpine and the Equipment Demonstration are open Monday to Friday 10-4.