Whether you need an OT assessment for NDIS equipment depends on two things the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) looks at: what the item costs and how risky it is to use. Some equipment needs no paperwork, some needs a short written recommendation, and some needs a full assessment report before the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) will add it to a plan. This guide explains where the lines fall, what an assessment covers, how to find an occupational therapist (OT) and what to have ready when you order.
Allcare Warehouse does not assess or prescribe equipment, but once you have advice in hand, the Liverpool showroom is a place to compare it with real products. The mobility aids range alone runs from walking sticks and frames to manual wheelchairs and ramps.
Key Takeaways
- Low-cost, low-risk items under $1,500 need no quotes, evidence or assessments, although the NDIS still suggests getting advice.
- Mid-cost items between $1,500 and $15,000 need a written recommendation from an assistive technology advisor, such as an allied health practitioner.
- High-cost items over $15,000 need an assessment report from a qualified assessor, such as an OT, plus a quote.
- Higher-risk equipment, such as adjustable beds, transfer aids and complex bathing devices, needs written advice whatever it costs.
- Occupational Therapy Australia’s Find an OT service searches by area of practice, funding scheme and language.
When an OT assessment for NDIS equipment is needed
The NDIS sorts assistive technology into three cost bands and, separately, by risk. The band decides what evidence the NDIA needs, and the risk level can add a requirement on top. An OT is one kind of professional who can provide that evidence, but not the only one.
Low-cost items: under $1,500
Low-cost assistive technology costs less than $1,500 and can usually be bought from a store because it does not need to be custom-made. When a low-cost item is also low-risk, the NDIS says you do not need to provide quotes, evidence or assessments, and you do not need approval before you buy. It still suggests everyone gets advice before buying, even for low-cost items, so the item is right for the person.
Mid-cost items: $1,500 to $15,000
Mid-cost assistive technology needs to be recommended by an assistive technology advisor, who can be an allied health practitioner, continence nurse, rehabilitation engineer, assistive technology mentor or other qualified practitioner. That evidence does not need to be a formal assessment: a letter, email or report is enough, as long as it is in writing. It should name the type of equipment, explain why it is the best value over other supports, show how it helps with the goals in the plan and give an estimate of the cost.
High-cost items: over $15,000
High-cost items need an assessment report from an assistive technology assessor, a suitably qualified allied health professional such as an occupational therapist, physiotherapist, speech pathologist or rehabilitation engineer. A quote covering delivery, installation and any training is also needed.
Higher-risk items, whatever the price
Cost is not the whole picture. Higher-risk assistive technology is equipment that needs specialised advice to buy, set up and use safely, and the NDIS says you will need written advice to buy or rent it. Its examples include adjustable beds, bed sticks and other transfer aids, complex bathing and toileting devices, pressure care devices, and prosthetics or orthotics. Some low-cost items fall in this group too: the NDIS names bed poles and weighted blankets as low-cost but higher-risk.
Where common equipment sits
Using the examples in the NDIS guidance, here is roughly where everyday equipment falls. Treat it as a starting point for your advisor, not a ruling on a particular item.
- Mobility: walking sticks, four-wheeled walker frames and short portable ramps are NDIS examples of low-cost items. See the walking aids and wheelchair ramps ranges.
- Bathroom: shower chairs, hand showers and handrails are low-cost examples, and a shower stool is the NDIS example of a low-risk item. Mobile shower chairs sit in the mid-cost band, which matters if you are looking at wheeled shower commodes in the bathroom and toilet aids range.
- Transfers: mobile hoists are listed as mid-cost and transfer aids as higher-risk, so items in the patient handling range, including patient hoists and transfer boards and belts, usually call for advice first.
- Supports: ankle-foot orthotics appear among the mid-cost examples and orthotics among the higher-risk ones, so if a clinician has recommended one, follow that advice rather than swapping in an item from the supports and braces range.
The price sets the paperwork, the risk sets the advice, and the written recommendation is what ties the order to the plan.
What an assistive technology assessment covers
An assessor’s work is different for everyone. The NDIS says it might involve a detailed discussion with you, observations in your home and community, and trials of different devices, and the assessor usually gives detailed recommendations in a written report. In a first appointment, Healthdirect describes an OT asking what activities you can do, which ones you struggle with and what goals you want to reach.
For the NDIA, the general assistive technology assessment should explain how the equipment helps you work towards your goals, include any equipment you have used before, explain how the item works with your other NDIS supports, and give an approximate cost to buy and maintain it for mid-cost items or a quote for high-cost ones. If you trialled the item, the report should also cover how you can use it safely and its long-term benefits. The NDIS gives one example of why this matters: equipment that helps you shower independently might mean you need fewer support worker hours to help you bathe.
How to find an occupational therapist
Occupational Therapy Australia runs a Find an OT service for finding occupational therapists in your area. Its filters include face-to-face or telehealth appointments, areas of practice such as Assistive Technology, Disability and the NDIS, the funding schemes an OT works with, and languages spoken. OTs in Australia must be registered with the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia, and Healthdirect notes your doctor can also refer you to a specific OT. If you are still stuck, the NDIS suggests talking to your NDIS contact about finding the right advisor.
What to bring when you order equipment
Once the OT assessment for NDIS equipment is done and the advice is in writing, a little preparation makes ordering straightforward:
- The written advice or report: it names the type of equipment and often the size, features or accessories the advisor recommends.
- Measurements: the room, doorways or shower recess the item is going into, plus any measurements of the person given in the advice.
- How the plan is managed: if your funding is NDIA-managed, the item must come from a registered NDIS provider, which Allcare Warehouse is. Plan-managed and self-managed participants can buy from any supplier.
- Plan details: new customers complete the NDIS service agreement, which asks for the participant’s name, NDIS number, date of birth, plan start and finish dates, how the plan is managed and a PDF copy of the plan.
Our guide on buying disability aids with NDIS funding walks through checking budgets and claiming, and the NDIS assistive technology funding guide covers what equipment can be claimed.
Got an OT’s recommendation? Call to ask which items in the range match it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I buy a mid-cost item before the NDIA approves it?
Wait for approval. For mid-cost and high-cost equipment, the NDIS asks you to send your evidence first, then adds funding to your plan if the request is approved, and only then do you buy the item. Buying early risks paying for something the plan does not end up covering, so order once the funding shows in your plan.
Who pays for the OT’s advice or assessment?
If assistive technology is funded in your plan, the NDIS says the funding will include at least $500 to seek advice from an assistive technology advisor. Outside the NDIS, Healthdirect says the cost of seeing an OT varies, so call and ask before booking, and notes that Medicare, the Department of Veterans’ Affairs or private health insurance may help with some of the cost.
Do I need a referral to see an occupational therapist?
Healthdirect says a referral is not needed to see an OT. It adds that you will need a referral from your doctor if you plan to claim the cost through a government funding scheme, so check how the appointment will be paid for before you book.
Can my GP give the advice instead of an OT?
Sometimes. The NDIS says your medical practitioner or specialist may have enough experience to advise on what you need, and that they can refer you to a more experienced advisor when they do not. Not every health professional has the specialist qualifications to act as an assistive technology assessor.
Can I rent or trial equipment instead of buying it?
The NDIS says you can access assistive technology through rental, loan, subscription or other arrangements, and it may fund a trial of high-cost items before deciding. Allcare Warehouse sells equipment and does not offer hire, so a rental would need to be arranged with a hire provider, with your advisor’s input on what to trial.
Getting the advice right first
An OT assessment for NDIS equipment is most useful when it is done before anything is ordered, because the recommendation shapes both the funding request and the choice of model. If you are unsure which band an item falls into, ask your advisor early, keep every written recommendation with your plan paperwork, and bring it along when you come to compare products.
Related services
Bring your OT’s written advice to the Liverpool showroom at Shop 7 inside Northumberland Arcade, 230 Northumberland Street, Liverpool, or call 1300 767 777 before you visit.
This guide is general information, not medical advice. Read our disclaimer.