Special Needs Equipment Information
The charitable organisations at the bottom of the page provide grants and information to parents and carers of disabled children for equipment, furnishings and home adaptations to aid daily living. Below is a brief common sense guide to questions you should consider before purchasing specialist equipment of any kind, we hope that this will be helpful and if you have any additions to this page, such as questions you wished you'd asked before investing in equipment for your child, then please let us know. CLICK TO EMAIL US
Five key things to consider before purchasing specialist equipment for disabled children.
1. If you are paying privately for the item of specialist equipment, have you exhausted every avenue for obtaining funding or a grant for the purchase? (please see our support section for further information)
2. Have you shopped around to ensure the specifications and price of the item are the best possible as well as most relevant for your childs disability?
3. Have you planned the logistics of the item, such as size and weight of the equipment. The last thing you want is your new specialist seating system not to fit in the room it was intended for!
4. Have you checked the amount of after sales support included in the sale? It can prove invaluable to have someone helpful on the end of the phone or even a house call when something isn't working or you can't remember the setup procedure! (If they are not forthcoming about their after sales support, it often suggests that it is not their intention to provide you with help!)
5. Have you looked at buying the item secondhand? Sometimes it is worth having a look at used equipment as it will be a fraction of the price. The organisations below list wanted and second hand disability equipment for sale.
THE DISABILITY EQUIPMENT REGISTER
4 Chatterton Road, Bristol BS17 4BJ
Telephone - 01454 318818
Website - http://www.disabreg.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk
DISABLEDGEAR.COM
Crampmoor Farmhouse, Crampmoor,
ROMSEY, SO51 9AJ
Telephone - 020 7193 1941
Website - http://www.disabledgear.com
CHARITABLE ORGANISATIONS
The Disabled Living Foundation offers a range of factsheets on what to look for when choosing children's daily living equipment, including personal care, beds, bathing, seating etc. The factsheets can be downloaded from their website at www.dlf.org.uk or telephone the helpline on 0845 1309177
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ASSOCIATION OF WHEELCHAIR CHILDREN 6 Woodman Parade, Telephone - 0870 1210050 A charitable organisation offering training & advice about wheelchair use |
ACTION FOR KIDS Ability House, Telephone: 020 8347 8111 Charity providing mobility equipment for children |
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WHIZZ-KIDZ Elliot House, Telephone - 020 7233 6600 www.whizz-kidz.org.uk Whizz-Kidz provides disabled children with wheelchairs & mobility equipment |
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