Choosing assistive technology: advice, peers and product trials

Top 3: The Best Ways to Find Assistive Technology Products and Services

By ATSA Independent Living Expo · Originally published 28 March 2018

People working at desks in a large shared office

Use demonstrations to compare, rather than commit

Take a short list of tasks and questions to a supplier or expo. Ask whether the equipment can be tried in the setting where you will use it, what is included in the price and what happens if it is unsuitable. Bring someone you choose if that helps you compare options; you can leave without buying.

Peer recommendations can reveal practical strengths and limitations, but another person’s needs may differ from yours. Current NDIA advisor information helps distinguish general advice from specialist assessment. Confirm funding and any required evidence before ordering.

Original article and dated context

This is a sponsored blog post by ATSA Independent Living Expo. 

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is growing and changing the assistive technology (AT) market in Australia. NDIS participants now have greater choice and control over their AT purchases and can buy a wide range of AT products and services with their NDIS budget. Participants can also choose their AT provider.

This shift in power is creating more incentives for providers and suppliers to be more responsive to your needs and preferences.

While this has been a welcome change, the process of shopping around to find the appropriate product and the right relationship with a provider to achieve suitable outcomes can seem overwhelming. But a few simple pointers can make it far easier.

What can you do to make it a smoother process?

Here’s our top three points for ensuring you get the very best out of the NDIS and get your AT needs met:

Speaking to an AT assessor or AT mentor. Under the NDIS, you can receive AT assessments to determine what AT solutions will help you achieve the goals outlined in your plan. Assessors include an AT mentor (people with a disability or those with lived experience of disability, including carers), allied health practitioner, continence nurse, registered dietician, psychologist, or rehabilitation engineer.
Joining a support group. As is the case with most things NDIS related, your peers are often the best source of firsthand information. Many of them will already have purchased AT products or use AT services – and most importantly, these peers have lived experiences of disability, just like you.
Attending a trade show. One of the best ways to see what’s on offer is to attend one of the many AT trade shows throughout Australia, where providers show exactly what you can find and even give you a helpful demonstration. This includes the ATSA Independent Living Expo.

[Clickability update, October 2026:

The event details below concern 2018. Verify any current event directly. For present role distinctions, read NDIA assistive-technology advisor guidance. Peer experience can inform questions but does not replace specialist assessment where needed.

]

What is the ATSA Independent Living Expo?

The ATSA Independent Living Expo can make the process of choosing an AT provider, product and service easier, bringing together more than 200 AT providers and suppliers under the one roof to showcase the latest equipment and services for the disability sector.

One of the most comprehensive events for people with disability, seniors, allied health professionals, rehabilitation providers, and interested members of the public, the 2018 ATSA Independent Living Expo will be held in Melbourne at the Melbourne Showgrounds from 16-17 May, and for the first time in Perth at the Claremont Showgrounds from 30-31 May.

A key feature of the expo is the free conference program which is run in rooms conveniently located next to the exhibition floor. The 2018 programs are also an excellent opportunity for allied health professionals, including occupational therapists and physiotherapists, to broaden their practical and theoretical learning. Seats are expected to book out well in advance of the event.

Speakers in the 2018 program include Dr Lloyd Walker, NDIA AT director; and international guests Barend ter Haar from BES Rehab, Healthcare Innovations UK; Paul Everett, Jenx, UK; Russ Rolt, Active Controls, US; Alli Hyde, Linds, Motion Composites, Canada and Amy Bjornson from Sunrise Medical.

The Melbourne program also includes two panels of therapists from OT Victoria providing a unique Q&A session whilst in Perth, the Independent Living Centre WA will provide a number of speakers on each day.The two programs are available now on the ATSA Independent Living Expo__ __website.

Click here for the Melbourne program.
Click here for the Perth program.

The ATSA Independent Living Expo is free to attend and those who pre-register online will receive free parking and a free coffee voucher to redeem on the day. Click here to register now.

Clickability editorial update: October 2026

Help organise the comparison without choosing for the participant

Clarify what the person wants to achieve, the relevant advisor and which information is still missing. Keep recommendations and supplier relationships transparent. Help compare total costs, training and servicing, then return the decision to the participant. A crowded expo or a confident sales presentation should not shorten the time needed to understand the options. NDIA equipment guidance provides a useful funding reference.

Questions readers ask

Is the 2018 registration offer current?

No. It is retained as part of the sponsored historical article.

Can a peer recommendation replace every assessment?

No. Use advice and assessment appropriate to the equipment and your circumstances. Official guidance

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