In this podcast episode about independent living we talk to Ms Frances Leckie who is the founder and brains behind the independentliving website which is one of the most established resources for the UK disabled community.  Coming from a marketing background, Frances noticed that there was an information gap in the market for adaptive products for the disabled.  So she slowly built a resource over the past 20 years that helps the disabled find products and services that enable them to live an independent life.  Her fascinating site covers everything from stairlifts to  adaptive bathrooms and offers visitors an unique email information service.

Frances Leckie from Independentliving.

Here. at disabilitymatch we have always campaigned for our disabled community to be empowered to fulfil their lives and very often that depends on having an environment that is ‘disability friendly’ so that you can relax and socialise and build a happy future.  As Leckie points out in the interview, there have been some amazing advances in adaptive technology over the last 2 decades.  Just a few hours at shows like NAIDEX  or a look at the Remap website can be a real eye-opener on just how far the adaptive living industry has moved on.

Adaptive bathroom

I was particularly impressed with just how ‘hands on’ Frances is with her many thousands of site users.  Nothing seems to be too much trouble for her and her team.  This makes such a change from the glossy sites which offer almost nothing in terms of service or client ethos.  One really gets the feeling that almost any query you can have about adapting your home, your car or your hobbies to work alongside your disability would be met with a smile on their site.

You can follow independent Living on their Twitter Feed

You can also follow independent Living on Facebook

Or visit their website https://independentliving.co.uk