On Disability Matters, John Comiskey speaks with UpLiving co-founder Ellen Zha about innovation, dignity and the award-winning Glide 2-in-1 Rollator and Wheelchair.
Mobility aids are designed to help people remain independent. But what happens when the equipment itself becomes a barrier — because it is heavy, difficult to use, awkward to store or simply doesn’t feel like something a person wants to be seen using?
For Ellen Zha, co-founder of British mobility brand UpLiving, these questions are personal.
In a recent Disability Matters interview, John Comiskey spoke with Ellen about the story behind UpLiving, the importance of designing mobility products around people’s real lives and the company’s award-winning Glide 2-in-1 Rollator and Wheelchair.
At the heart of the conversation is a simple idea: mobility equipment should not mean giving up your independence, your dignity or your sense of style.
A company founded from personal experience
UpLiving was founded in 2019 by Ellen and her co-founder, both of whom had a disabled grandmother in their families.
They had seen first-hand how mobility difficulties could affect someone who had previously been highly independent.
For Ellen, her grandmother’s experience was particularly influential.
She describes her as a very proud and independent woman who had spent her life looking after herself. When she eventually needed mobility equipment, however, she did not want to use it.
Ellen began to wonder why.
The answer was not necessarily that she did not need support. Rather, the equipment made her feel as though she was losing something about herself.
“She was very independent throughout her life and she was very proud of herself.”
For Ellen and her co-founder, this became the motivation to think differently about mobility products.
Her grandmother sadly never had the opportunity to use the products that UpLiving would later develop, but her experience helped shape the company’s philosophy.
Mobility aids should be something people are proud to use
UpLiving describes itself as a British mobility brand specialising in the design and development of innovative mobility products, particularly rollators and wheelchairs.
Ellen explains that the company’s philosophy is straightforward.
Mobility aids should not simply be functional. They should also be beautifully designed, intuitive to use and something people can feel proud to own.
The company puts significant emphasis on research, development and product innovation, challenging traditional designs and looking for smarter ways to make everyday life easier.
Its products are now distributed internationally through partners across Europe, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and North America.
Ultimately, however, Ellen says the goal is about much more than selling a product.
“Ultimately what we’re trying to achieve with UpLiving is to help people maintain their independence without having to compromise on lifestyle.”
Solving a real problem
John points out that many mobility products can be heavy, bulky and difficult to manage — particularly for someone living alone.
That is exactly the kind of practical problem UpLiving wants to address.
Ellen says that innovation for the company always begins with a question: what problem are we actually solving?
Rather than creating a new product simply because there is a market for it, UpLiving aims to identify something that existing products do not do well and find a better solution.
That philosophy is particularly evident in the company’s Glide 2-in-1 Rollator and Wheelchair.
One product, two functions
The Glide is designed to work as both a rollator and a wheelchair, allowing a person to switch between the two modes.
Ellen explains that there are already products on the market described as 2-in-1 mobility aids. However, many simply add a footrest or foot panel to a rollator, effectively turning it into what she describes as a transfer chair.
UpLiving wanted to solve a different problem.
When someone uses a rollator, their force is directed downwards as they push through the frame to gain stability.
But when the same equipment is being pushed by a carer or another person, the force needs to move forwards.
The Glide’s design allows the frame to rotate, changing the direction of the force and allowing the product to switch modes quickly.
“We find a way to rotate the frame to change the power of direction.”
According to Ellen, this makes it easier to move through obstacles and more practical for the person pushing the chair.
Importantly, the Glide has also passed a wheelchair test.
That means, according to Ellen, it is not simply a rollator that can be used as a transfer chair — it functions as both a rollator and a wheelchair.
Designed around the user
The product weighs approximately 10.5kg.
Ellen acknowledges that this is heavier than a standard rollator, but explains that the Glide is designed to provide a more comfortable seating experience when being used as a wheelchair.
The focus is therefore not simply on reducing weight, but on creating a product that works across different situations.
Someone might use it as a rollator while walking independently and then switch to wheelchair mode when they become tired or need assistance.
That flexibility can be particularly valuable for people who want to remain active and participate in everyday life without having to carry or use separate pieces of equipment.
Recognition for design and innovation
The Glide is one of several UpLiving products to receive international design recognition.
Ellen explains that the company’s products have received multiple awards, including the European Design Award and Japan’s G-Mark.
Other UpLiving products have also received recognition such as the EVE Award and Red Dot awards.
For a company founded around challenging traditional approaches to mobility equipment, that recognition is significant.
But throughout the interview, Ellen returns to the practical reason behind the innovation: making life easier for the person actually using the product.
Now available in Ireland
There is also good news for Irish listeners.
The Glide 2-in-1 Rollator and Wheelchair is now available in Ireland through Phelan’s Medical Stores.
Ellen says the product is widely available and that stock had arrived in Irish stores at the end of September.
For anyone interested in finding out whether it is suitable for them, Ellen recommends visiting a Phelan’s store and testing the product.
People can also contact UpLiving directly through its website.
Changing the way we think about mobility
One of the most interesting aspects of the conversation is the wider question behind the product.
Mobility equipment can make an enormous difference to a person’s independence. But the way that equipment looks, feels and fits into everyday life can matter too.
For some people, accepting the need for a mobility aid can feel like a significant change in identity.
UpLiving’s approach is to challenge that idea.
Rather than asking people to compromise their lifestyle because they need support with mobility, the company wants its products to become tools that help people continue living the life they want.
For Ellen, the motivation goes back to her grandmother and the experience that started the journey.
It is about creating products that people choose to use — rather than equipment they feel they have been forced to accept.
And that makes the story behind the Glide about more than engineering.
It is about dignity, choice, independence and the freedom to keep moving.
This interview aired on Disability Matters on 92.5 Phoenix FM, a programme produced by Blanchardstown Centre for Independent Living (BCIL).
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