An assistive Technology as defined under NDIS - “physical supports that help participants do something more easily /safely and do something they otherwise cannot do because of disability”, some examples include wheelchairs, scooters, hearing aids, prosthetics devices, orthotic devices, and the likes.ATs are therefore vectors toward achieving the goals of the clients. The NDIS however emphasized that ATs should be reasonable and necessary and not all ATs will be funded especially if it has been funded by other government services. To help participants assess within themselves if their application will be funded or not, the NDIS website recommended asking the following questions:
1.Does the AT relate to your disability?
2. Is the AT right for you?
3. Is what you need value for money?
4.Is your AT funded by someone else?
If you answered yes to all of the 3 questions, then you might have a bigger chance of getting that AT. Here are some tips that we have gathered to make this process easier for you:
1. Run down the reasons why you think the AT will be of great benefit to you. The reasons you should be mentioning should be anchored to the goals you have set during your Plan Meeting.
2. Gather information about the AT that you need to buy: product’s features and benefits, price, specs, company or companies that sell or manufacture the AT.
3. If your AT is high cost, the NDIA has provided a template which the assessors ( example: your OT/PT ) and you can supply information which the NDIA needs during deliberation. The template can be downloaded at https://www.ndis.gov.au/providers/housing-and-living-supports-and-services/providing-assistive-technology.
4. Once You have all these completed, you may now draft a letter and put together the data you gathered from items 1 and 2.
5. Meet with your LAC or Support Coordinator and discuss your request to them.
It is important to note that there is no standard waiting period for this process as participants varied their responses in terms of their experience with the time frame. Purchasing an assistive technology involves your funds, and what better way to deal with this process is to have a Plan Manager who can do the invoicing for you. Yogi Care Plan Management ensures all our clients’ service providers are paid on time because we value service providers as much as we value our clients. Contact us today and be part of our growing family.
