Assistive technology resources: the official bodies worth bookmarking

Updated 24 October 2026

Choosing assistive technology is easier when you know who sets the rules, who pays and who can give you an independent opinion. These are the Australian bodies we point families, carers and providers to.

A quick boundary. We are not a registered NDIS provider. If your NDIS plan is self-managed or plan-managed, you can usually buy from us and claim it, when the item is in your plan and is reasonable and necessary for you. We can't be paid from NDIA-managed (agency-managed) funding. This page is general information, not funding, eligibility or clinical advice. Your planner, plan manager, support coordinator, occupational therapist, aged care provider or My Aged Care can tell you what applies to you.

Assistive technology bodies

Assistive Technology Suppliers Australasia (ATSA)The industry body for assistive technology suppliers, and the people behind the ATSA Independent Living Expo. A good place to see what is out there before you buy.
ARATAThe Australian Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology Association. Clinicians, suppliers and users talking to each other, which is rarer than it should be.
NED, the National Equipment DatabaseIndependent equipment information that started life with the Independent Living Centres. Handy for comparing types of equipment side by side.

NDIS funding

NDIS: Assistive technology and advisorsHow the NDIS groups assistive technology into low, mid and high cost, and when you need an advisor's input. Read this before you talk to your planner.
NDIS: Guide to assistive technologyThe longer official guide, with the rules on quotes, assessments and what counts as reasonable and necessary.

Aged care funding

My Aged Care: Support at HomeThe program that replaced Home Care Packages on 1 November 2025. Start here if an older person needs help to stay at home.
My Aged Care: the AT-HM schemeThe Assistive Technology and Home Modifications scheme, explained for older people and families. Funding tiers, who decides and how to ask.
Department of Health, Disability and Ageing: AT-HM for providersThe provider side of the same scheme. Useful if you are a Support at Home provider working out what you can fund and how to claim.

Getting the right advice

Occupational Therapy Australia: find an OTFind an occupational therapist near you. For anything complex, an OT assessment is the difference between the right equipment and an expensive doorstop.
Occupational Therapy AustraliaThe professional body for OTs in Australia. Good background on what an OT does and when to ask for one.

Guides on this site

More resource pages from the Mr Purple family

Every link on this page was checked on 24 October 2026. Rules and websites change, so the official site is always the final word.

Questions

Assistive technology, answered

Who can help me choose assistive technology?

An occupational therapist is usually the best person for anything complex. Occupational Therapy Australia has a find an OT search. For low cost items you can often choose yourself, and independent sites such as NED help you compare types of equipment.

Can the NDIS pay for assistive technology?

Yes, when it is in your plan and is reasonable and necessary for you. The NDIS sorts assistive technology into low, mid and high cost, and higher cost items usually need an assessment or quote first. The NDIS assistive technology pages explain the rules.

How do older people get assistive technology funded?

Through Support at Home and its Assistive Technology and Home Modifications (AT-HM) scheme, after an aged care assessment arranged through My Aged Care.