Assistive technology (AT)

What is assistive technology (AT) in the NDIS?

Assistive technology (AT) is equipment, technology or devices that help a person with disability do things they otherwise couldn't do, or do them more easily or safely. The NDIS funds AT when it relates to the participant's disability and meets the reasonable and necessary criteria. It ranges from a non-slip bath mat to a power wheelchair or a speech-generating device.

The NDIA sorts AT by cost (low, mid and high) and by risk (low or high), and those two things decide how much evidence you need before buying. Low-cost AT usually comes from the flexible consumables budget, while more expensive items usually sit in the capital supports budget. The NDIA's page What is assistive technology gives the official overview.

Common types of AT include:

• Mobility: walking frames, manual and power wheelchairs, scooters, transfer aids.
• Personal care and safety: shower chairs, hoists, pressure care mattresses, bed rails, personal alarms.
• Communication and information: communication boards, speech-generating devices, adapted computer access.
• Vision and hearing: magnifiers, screen readers, some hearing devices.
• Daily living: adapted cutlery, kitchen aids, dressing aids.
• Prosthetics and orthotics, including customised and wearable technology.

Low-cost, mid-cost and high-cost AT

The NDIA puts AT into three cost categories based on the price of each item. The dollar thresholds are set by the NDIA and published on its low-cost assistive technology page, so check there for the current figures. What changes between the tiers is the evidence you need:

Sources: NDIA pages on low-cost AT and how to buy mid-cost or high-cost AT, and the Our Guidelines section on how the NDIS funds AT.

Risk levels

Separately from cost, AT is either low risk (unlikely to cause harm in everyday use, like a long-handled sponge) or higher risk (could cause harm if not chosen, set up or used correctly, like a hoist or a power wheelchair). Higher-risk AT needs advice from an AT assessor even if it is not expensive, because the right fit and training matter for safety.

How to get mid-cost or high-cost AT

Low-cost AT can usually be bought straight away from your consumables budget. For mid-cost and high-cost items the process is more structured. An AT assessor is usually an allied health professional, such as an occupational therapist, physiotherapist or speech pathologist, with the skills to assess the type of AT you need. The assessor's time is funded from your capacity building budget.

The NDIA may fund AT as a trial or rental before buying, which is useful when you aren't sure an item will suit you or your needs are changing. It can also fund repairs and maintenance of AT the NDIS has funded, and set-up and training so you can use it safely. If an item is damaged or outgrown, talk to the NDIA about replacement rather than assuming it will be swapped automatically.

Choosing AT that will actually work

The most expensive AT mistakes happen when equipment doesn't fit the person's life. Before you commit, work through these with your assessor and supplier:

• Environment: will it fit through your doorways, in your car, at work or school, and on the ground you usually travel over?
• Trial: have you tried it in real conditions, not just in a showroom?
• Carers and workers: do the people who help you need training to use it safely, especially for hoists and transfers?
• Change over time: will it still suit you if your needs change, or can it be adjusted?
• Servicing: who repairs it, how long do repairs take, and is a loan item available while it's away?
• Warranty and support: what is covered, and who do you call when something goes wrong?

Some participants also need AT mentoring: help from a worker to learn and build confidence with a device in everyday settings. The 2026-27 NDIS pricing schedule lists Assistive Technology Mentoring as item 15_300_0103_1_3, costed at the Disability Support Worker Level 4 rate. You can look it up in the free NDIS price guide.

What AT doesn't cover

Not every helpful product is an NDIS support. Since the NDIS Act changes of October 2024, the law lists what is and isn't an NDIS support. In general, AT is not funded when it is:

• An everyday item most people buy regardless of disability, such as a standard phone, tablet, furniture or whitegoods, unless it is an approved replacement support.
• The responsibility of another system, such as equipment the health system provides after surgery, or aids a school must provide for learning.
• Not related to the participant's disability, or not good value compared with other options.
• Part of the home itself, like ramps or bathroom changes, which are home modifications rather than AT.

The NDIA can explain whether something is an NDIS support for you; ask before you buy anything you aren't sure about.

AT vs consumables vs home modifications

These three are funded differently and often confused. Consumables are used up, AT is equipment you keep, and home modifications change the building.

How AT appears in your plan

Where AT sits in the plan affects how flexibly you can use the money:

• Low-cost AT is usually part of the Core – Consumables budget. Core is generally the most flexible budget, so you can buy low-cost items as needs arise, as long as they are related to your disability and reasonable and necessary.
• Mid-cost AT is usually funded in the Capital – Assistive Technology budget, often as an amount for the type of AT your assessor recommended.
• High-cost AT is usually a stated support: funded for a specific item and only usable for that item.

How you pay depends on how the budget is managed. NDIA-managed participants must use registered providers, who claim from the NDIA. Plan-managed participants send invoices to their plan manager, and self-managed participants pay and claim themselves. Keep receipts and the assessor's report: they show what was bought and why. The free NDIS budget tracker helps you see whether consumables money will last if you are buying AT and continence products from the same budget.

Recent changes affecting AT (2024–2026)

The 1 October 2026 change reduces support budgets for social, economic and community participation and for improved daily living skills as plans are created or reassessed. The NDIA has said some supports in those categories are not affected, including customised and wearable technology, hearing services, and personal mobility equipment (NDIA news, Changes to support budgets from 1 October). If an AT assessment or AT-related therapy is funded from improved daily living skills, check how your next plan treats it.

What AT providers need to know

AT suppliers range from large equipment companies to small specialist businesses and allied health practices. The NDIA's guide on providing assistive technology sets out what it expects. Key points:

• Who can buy from you: NDIA-managed participants can only use registered providers; plan-managed and self-managed participants can use registered or unregistered providers.
• Quotes for high-cost AT should match the assessor's recommendation and include delivery, set-up and training where needed.
• Don't supply before approval for items that need NDIA approval; the participant may not be funded for them.
• Price limits: some AT-related items, like mentoring and the selection or manufacture of customised or wearable technology, have price limits in the pricing schedule; many equipment items are quoted.
• Code of Conduct: every provider must follow the NDIS Code of Conduct, including giving honest advice and not pressuring participants towards particular products.

Common mistakes and misunderstandings

• "Low-cost AT means I can buy anything cheap." It still has to relate to your disability and be reasonable and necessary.
• "I need quotes for everything." Quotes are generally only needed for high-cost AT; mid-cost AT needs written assessor evidence.
• "Low cost means low risk." A cheap item can still be high risk and need professional advice.
• "The NDIS will replace my phone or laptop." Standard devices are generally everyday items, unless the NDIA approves them as a replacement support.
• Buying high-cost AT before approval. If the NDIA hasn't approved it, it may not be funded.
• Forgetting repairs. Budget for maintenance and servicing of funded AT, especially wheelchairs and hoists.