Equipment & Products

New Zealand has a lot of options when it comes to disability equipment and equipment suppliers.

To find out what equipment is right for you, first you should have a chat to an occupational therapist (OT).  You can ask for a referral from your GP or find one online near you on the Occupational Therapy New Zealand Website.

Occupational Therapists can provide guidance on which equipment is best for you and how to access it.

If you need equipment as the result of an injury, ACC may provide or pay for aids and equipment you need to recover from an injury or help with your daily tasks. To be eligible, you’ll need to have a claim that is covered by ACC.

If your disability is not due to an injury then Disability Support Services on behalf of Ministry of Social Development provides equipment for people who have a physical, intellectual, sensory (vision or hearing), or age-related disability that is not due to an injury covered by ACC. Disability Support Services owns the equipment and loans it to you it for as long as you need it.

You’ll need to have an assessment with an Equipment and Modification Services (EMS) Assessor to find out if you’re eligible.

EMS assessors are usually occupational therapists, physiotherapists, speech-language therapists, optometrists, or audiologists.

There is a limit to what Disability Support Services can offer so it’s important to read about what you could be entitled to and other options that are available to you.

Not all equipment is funded. There are options for purchasing or loaning equipment and some options to apply for funding for equipment items from charities such as Wilson Home or The Lotteries Commission.