Aids and equipment providers
Queensland Health Medical Aids Subsidy Scheme
The Medical Aids Subsidy Scheme (MASS) provides funding for medical aids and equipment to eligible Queensland residents who have a permanent and stabilised condition or a disability. The scheme helps people to live at home and avoid early or inappropriate residential care or hospitalisation.
Visit the Queensland Health website for general information on subsidy funding for medical aids and equipment.
Purchasing or using any assistive technology
Before purchasing or using any assistive technology, it is recommended that you consult with a professional to ensure that aids, equipment and technology are suitable for your individual needs—or the needs of a person you support.
Who can I contact for advice?
The following organisations can provide you with objective assistance to help you meet your individual assistive technology needs, or the needs of a person you support:
- LifeTec Queensland provides a free information and advisory service on assistive technology for people with a disability and their families, friends and carers in Queensland. No referral is required and the service is available to all Queenslanders requiring any level of support with selecting the most suitable assistive technology to meet their needs. LifeTec Queensland also offers education and training services—including workshops, skills and product updates, webinars and customised packages for health professionals and community care workers. You can contact LifeTec Queensland on 1300 543 383 or email mail@lifetec.org.au.
- Vision Australia has an Adaptive Technology Help Desk that provides support to people who are blind or have low vision with meeting their assistive technology needs. You can contact the Help Desk on 1300 847 466, or email help@visionaustralia.org.
- The CPL's Assistive Technology Support Services (ATSS) team is dedicated to supporting people with cerebral palsy and related disabilities with enhancing their participation in various life activities. The team provides information about assistive technology queries (this service is free); client consultation and setup and maintenance support services (these may attract a fee); and training and professional development services. ATSS includes:
- an Assistive Technology Loans Library, with assistive technology equipment that includes speech generating devices, mounting options, specialised computer software, mouse and keyboard alternatives, switches, environmental control units, power wheelchairs and controls. Clients of the Cerebral Palsy League can borrow equipment to trial from the library for free
- communication boards, including personalised computer-generated communication boards and books, with costs for use varying depending on requirements
- the Walkways Mobility Program, which includes a specialist clinic for assisting and monitoring children with the ability to use the Hart Walker.
NextSense provides students, families and teachers in rural and regional Queensland with a range of specialist education and other services for children with hearing or vision loss. For more information, call 1300 581 391 or email toowoomba@nextsense.org.au.
You can also contact a disability organisation directly for advice about other experts you may like to consult for guidance with selecting appropriate assistive technologies.
Ongoing assistance
Experts can provide you with ongoing guidance to ensure that assistive technologies continue to meet your needs-or the needs of a person you support-as best as possible.
If you are having issues with a particular product or device, you can also contact the supplier directly to let them know, and to find out if there is a way that you can resolve the issue.
Your rights as a consumer
The Office of Fair Trading in the Queensland Government provides information about your rights and responsibilities as a consumer—including advice about guarantees, warranties and refunds when you purchase goods and services in Australia.