Kayleigh Price spent money on equipment she could not use

Organisers of the Independent Living Centre in Bargoed, near Caerphilly, have customised their HQ with a range of products which people can try before they buy.

It includes kitchen, with utensils like a talking microwave, a specially adapted bathroom and a variety of products designed for easier living.

The house was set up after the organisers realised that many of their clients were spending money on products that were not suitable for their needs.

So, the centre run by CHAD - Centre for Help and Advice for the Disabled - introduced the service to help stop people wasting money on products which are no good for them.

Kayleigh Price, 15, who relies on a variety of equipment in her everyday life, spent money on a product which she never used.

It is not just about equipment - we provide help and information on a number of things Sheila Hopkins

Her carer Nita Roberts explained: "We once bought a chair for Kayleigh from a catalogue and it cost us �1,000.

"It took a long time for it to arrive and when it did it just wasn't suitable.

"We spent all that money on something which Kayleigh couldn't and has never used.

"Often the equipment we need costs a lot of money and before CHAD we weren't able to try it out to see if it was suitable.

"It has made a big difference to us.

"Now it is just a question of coming here to have a good look at the equipment and it makes life a lot easier for us," she added.

A variety of products are on display for people try out

The centre says they are inundated with calls from people across the UK and even abroad every day as well as a large number of people dropping in.

They help an average of 3,000 people a year.

Sheila Hopkins, CHAD's treasurer, said that they would do their best to help everyone who asked for assistance.

"It is not just about equipment - we provide help and information on a number of things," she said.

"We will phone around until we get the cheapest price we can to make sure that people get value for money."

Around 3,000 people contact the centre every year and they get calls from as far away as Australia and Germany.

"It is all about giving people their independence back and we do our best to help everyone who asks us for advice - no matter where they are from," she said.