Assistive technology: tools that change daily life

Assistive technology is any device or equipment that makes daily life easier, safer or more possible. The range is enormous — from a $20 jar opener to a customised wheelchair or a smart-home setup — and the NDIS can fund the level 1 to level 4 technology your plan assesses as reasonable and necessary.

The four levels

• Level 1 — basic: everyday items like non-slip mats or adapted cutlery. Often bought from your core budget without assessments.
• Level 2 — standard: items like shower chairs or simple tablets, typically funded with brief advice from a professional.
• Level 3 — specialised: things like powered wheelchairs or communication devices, which need a therapist's assessment.
• Level 4 — complex: custom-built solutions such as home modifications, requiring specialist assessment and quotes.

How to get technology into your plan

Start with an OT or relevant therapist assessment. They will match the technology to your goals — not the other way around — and provide the evidence your planner needs. Quotes come next for higher-cost items.

Small items, big difference

Do not overlook the low end. Voice assistants, jar openers, GPS trackers, adapted keyboards and bed rails quietly transform independence for a few hundred dollars or less.

Getting the most from your tech

Good technology is only useful if it is set up properly and actually used. Ask for training as part of your purchase, involve your support workers so everyone uses it consistently, and review it each year — needs change, and technology improves.

The best assistive technology is the kind you stop noticing — because it simply works, every day, in the background of your life.