Aids and equipment
Aids, equipment and assistive technologies provide practical solutions to everyday activities, enabling independence and greater community involvement—socially and economically.
This section explains what some key government funding schemes offer, their eligibility requirements and how to seek access to them.
- Continence Aids Payment Scheme
- Department of Veterans' Affairs
- Disability and Community Care Services
- gambling community benefit funds
- Medical Aids Subsidy Scheme
- Spectacle Supply Scheme.
Other sources of funding assistance may include:
- Variety Queensland which provides practical grants for much-needed items that help children; things like modified tricycles, electric beds, communication devices, and computers
- community service groups like Lions, Rotary and Apex that put their volunteer efforts into fundraising to support people in need, organisations and causes.
Limited hire services or help offsetting the cost of disability-specific aids and equipment may be available through your community-based disability organisation including:
- Spinal Injuries Association
- Muscular Dystrophy Queensland
- Motor Neurone Disease Association of Queensland.
Continence Aids Payment Scheme
The Australian Government provides an annual payment to eligible Australians to help pay for continence products. Find out more by telephoning either Medicare on 132 011 or the National Continence Helpline on 1800 33 00 66 or visiting the Bladder and Bowel website.
Department of Veterans' Affairs
The Department of Veterans' Affairs provides aids and appliances through its rehabilitation appliances program to help eligible veterans, war widows and widowers and dependents to be as independent and self-reliant as possible in their own homes. Mobility appliances, continence aids, medical grade footwear and personal response systems are among the products covered.
Department of Communities, Disability and Community Care Services
The Department of Communities (Disability and Community Care Services) can provide aids and equipment to eligible Queenslanders if the aid or equipment is related to the disability and/or enables participation in disability support services. Call 1800 177 120 or contact your local service centre to find out more.
Gambling community benefit funds
Queensland's community benefit funds return taxes earned through gambling to the community.
Individuals and families are not eligible but not-for-profit organisations can apply for grants to help them provide community services or activities. Wheelchairs, access ramps, mobility aids and motor vehicles are among the purchases made by recent beneficiaries.
Medical Aids Subsidy Scheme
Queensland Health's Medical Aids Subsidy Scheme (MASS) provides subsidy funding for a range of aids and equipment to eligible Queensland residents.
MASS covers:
- communication aids—artificial larynges, speech generating devices and voice amplification devices
- continence aids—disposable pads, nappies, reusable pants, catheters, sheaths, leg drainage bags and night drainage bags
- daily living aids—such as bath boards, mobile floor hoists, mobile shower chairs, non-mobile commodes, pressure reduction mattresses and transfer benches
- home oxygen—concentrator machines and cylinders
- medical grade footwear—customised, custom-made and prefabricated footwear
- mobility aids—manual or powerdrive wheelchairs, wheeled walking aids and pressure reduction cushions
- orthoses—lower limb or spinal orthotic devices.
These aids and equipment are subsidy funded on a permanent loan basis, private ownership or through the purchase of consumables.
You may need to meet some of the purchase cost or buy additional aids.
Find out how MASS operates and how to apply.
Spectacle Supply Scheme
A range of basic prescription spectacles are available to eligible Queenslanders under Queensland Health's Spectacle Supply Scheme (SSS). Your optometrist or ophthalmologist will need to refer you to this scheme.
Detailed information about the range of products, entitlements and applications is available online.
