Assistive Technology

Assistive Technology, Equipment, Modifications

Helping you find what is right for you

Living your life

Assistive technology for mobility and independence

What is assistive technology? Assistive technology means everything in the way of equipment, technology and modifications that helps people with disability with their everyday life activities. Assistive technology can help a person maintain greater independence and make tasks and activities easier and safer for them to do. Assistive technology can be anything from manual and power wheelchairs, battery chargers, power assist technology for your manual wheelchair, portable ramps, hoists, pressure relief cushions, continence equipment, adjustable beds, heating or cooling equipment, ventilators, home automation, environmental control, computer technology, to vehicle and home modifications.

Including equipment and modifications in your NDIS plan

First steps – organising an assessment by an Occupational Therapist

As part of including assistive technology – equipment, modifications, computer technology in your NDIS plan, you will more than likely – if it costs over a certain amount – require the services of an Occupational Therapist (OT) to do an assessment of your needs. From this assessment, the occupational therapist will provide a report to accompany your plan, detailing the equipment or modifications needed and the funds required.

To find an occupational therapist – Occupational Therapy Australia has on online directory that you can search to find an OT by location and area of expertise or you can call their national office on 03 9415 2900.

Looking for a wheelchair, continence supplies, equipment? Helping you through the supplier maze

Equipment Suppliers/ Hirers/ Repairers/ Services/ Advice

SCIA has gathered together a list of providers who sell, hire, repair and provide advice for all your wheelchair, seating, continence, bathroom, and general mobility needs.

  • Acacia Medical stock a wide variety of products including Mobility, Pressure Care, Personal Care and Disposables and Clinical Consumables and have an extensive range of hire equipment available. Based in Armidale NSW, Acacia Medical covers the mid and north coast regions of NSW and the north-western areas of the state.
  • Active Mobility for specialised supply, service and hire of powered rehabilitation equipment
  • Aidacare provide specialist healthcare equipment and services and equipment hire.
  • Astris LifeCare provide a range of assistive equipment and mobility products.
  • BossHard Medical supply a wide range of Home Care, Mobility and Disability equipment throughout the Sydney Metro area.
  • Brightsky supply continence, wound, skin and other medical and health care products.
  • GTK Rehab supply a range of products for adults and children.
  • Infoqore from IDEAS is a comprehensive and easy to search collection of suppliers of equipment for people with disability.
  • Independence Australia supply continence, wound, skin and other medical and health care products
  • National Equipment Database (NED) NED currently has over 20,000 distinctive products listed, making it Australia’s largest assistive technology equipment database.
  • Independent Living Specialists is one of Australia’s largest providers of homecare equipment and a leading provider of wheelchairs and seating equipment.
  • Invacare designs, manufactures and distributes an extensive line of innovative home and long-term care medical products and services that promote recovery and active lifestyles.
  • Magic Mobility are an Australian company who design and build power chairs.
  • Mogo Wheelchairs create functional, fun and user friendly wheelchairs.
  • Permobil Australia is one of the leaders in the complex rehabilitation power wheelchairs industry.
  • Pride Mobility design scooters, lift chairs, power chairs, walked lifts, ramps and pressure cushions.
  • Specialised Wheelchair Company specialise in providing equipment for complex assistive technology solutions.
  • Sunrise Medical develop, design, manufacture and distribute manual and powered wheelchairs, mobility scooters and both standard and customised seating and positioning systems.
  • Total Mobility provides a range of modifications and tech from ramps, stair climbers, daily living aids, fall preventions, posture chairs and powered mobility.
  • Unicare Health provides a spectrum of options from bathroom products, pressure care, seating solutions, transport and access products, power mobility and equipment hire.
  • Wheelchairs Express specialises in wheelchair scripting, selling and servicing simple to complex custom made wheelchair and seating systems. Wheelchairs Express operates through a network of dealers and suppliers to provide a national service.

Looking to buy or sell secondhand equipment?

If you are looking for secondhand equipment (including vehicles) to purchase or if you have some equipment that you no longer need these sites are worthwhile a visit:

Using technology for accessibility and independence

Computer technology and home automation suppliers and services

There is a lot to think about when you decide to automate your home. It can mean anything from installing an opener on your front door so that the door opens on the press of a button or voice command. Or you can talk to your house and tell it to turn lights on, music, operate blinds, fans – you can even make things happen before you get home so for example you could turn the air conditioning on with an app so that the house is lovely and warm when you arrive home.

If you are using a computer device, you might have limited hand function – now it’s possible to use voice to operate programs or you can apply “accessibility” features on your mobile device. There are lots of options and possibilities for you to get connected. If you don’t know where to start or need advice these organisations and services can help you understand what is available and what will be right for you.

  • Ability Technology are based in Forestville, Sydney and provide a complete computer and home automation service for people with disabilities. Services include advice, assessments, customisation, training and technical support.
  • Technical Solutions Australia specialises in Electronic Assistive Technology for people with disabilities. They design and manufacture their own equipment and source products worldwide. They also provide a service adapting toys, computers and other devices to improve accessibility.
  • CPTech is a not-for-profit organisation that focuses on providing equipment solutions that are not readily available, such as sourcing specialised equipment from overseas or custom designing and building equipment from the ground up
  • The Accessible Telecoms project (by the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network) is an interactive website and call centre for information about the accessibility features of both mainstream and assistive telecommunications equipment suitable for people with disability. It will also provide information about available set-up, training and on-going support providing people with the skills and confidence to maximise the benefits of telecommunications access.
  • Spectronics is one of Australia and New Zealand’s largest supplier of special needs software and assistive technologies.
  • Voice Recognition Software provides Dragon naturally speaking systems.
  • ComTEC offer services throughout Victoria to people of all ages with a disability who have communication and technology needs. The ComTEC team consists of speech pathologists, occupational therapists and IT support with expertise in communication and technology for people with disabilities.
  • Vision Australia has information about adaptive technology such as talking and screen reading programs.
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