The Seniors and Disability Rights Service have seen an increase of positive client outcomes due to the utilisation of technology.
A five-year-old child was referred to DCLS on 9 May 2019 by KeepMoving, an assistive technology service provider. The client had Cerebral Palsy and faced challenges in day to day functioning.
The client made a request to the NDIA for a new X-Panda chair for home and a Wonder Seat that would give him mobility outside of his home environment. The Wonder Seat folds up into the vehicle owned by the client’s family as their vehicle does not have capacity to take a wheelchair.
The NDIA originally declined the request for both pieces of assistive technology as they contended that the one piece of technology could perform both functions. This meant that the client would have to be taken from the seat at home, placed on the ground and left there while the seat was loaded into the vehicle. The same procedure would need to be undertaken when being moved from the vehicle to return home and the client would be placed on the floor of the vehicle while the seat was taken from the vehicle and set up in the house.
DCLS negotiated an outcome whereby both pieces of assistive technology were approved. This outcome enables the client to retain his dignity and greater independence in his mobility when being assisted to move from his home environment.
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