Negotiating your way through the NDIS system can be daunting. Here’s what you need to do in order to fund your recumbent trike through the NDIS.

National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

The NDIS is a national scheme designed to help people with disabilities. It helps people by funding the reasonable and necessary support they need to reach their goals in life.

Reasonable refers to something that is fair.
Necessary refers to something that you must have because of your disability.

Where Does A Recumbent Trike Fit Into the NDIS?

Your recumbent trike will be listed within NDIS as Assistive Equipment for Recreation.

Include a Recumbent Trike in Your NDIS Plan

When you speak with your NDIS planner, you will be asked to form goals. Goals are things you want to achieve.

For example, perhaps one of your goals is:

• To develop greater social networks.

Or

• To achieve greater inclusion in the community.

Or

• To become more active in your community.

Explain How A Recumbent Trike Will Help Your Achieve Goals

Once you have your goals, you need to state clearly how a recumbent trike will help you to achieve these goals.

For example:

The goal is for me to develop greater social networks and have greater inclusion in the community by participating in activities such as cycling with friends and family. To achieve this, I need a recumbent trike.

If writing the goals for your child, simply re-word the phrases:

The goal is for my child to develop greater social networks and have greater inclusion in the community by participating in activities such as cycling with friends and family. To achieve this, my child needs a recumbent trike.

Important: Do Not Write…

Do not simply writing, “For my child to learn to ride a trike”.

This statement doesn’t show how a recumbent trike will fulfil your child’s goal … ie. to develop greater social networks and to achieve greater inclusion in the community.

Tips for Applying for Equipment through NDIS.

Remember to:

• Explain, in writing, why a recumbent trike is important to achieve your goals.
• Calculate how much it will cost to maintain and service your equipment, (e.g., your recumbent trike). The cost of maintenance needs to be allowed for in your NDIS budget.
• Ask your current therapist (e.g., occupational therapist, physiotherapist) to write a letter of support to go with your request for funding for equipment. Take this letter with you to your planning meeting!

We, here at the Recumbent Company, are more than happy to provide you with a quote to go with the support letter from your therapist. Please ring and talk with us about your needs!

Talk with Your Planner about Getting An Assistive Technology Assessment

When you go to your planning meeting, talk with your planner about having an Assistive Technology Assessment Form completed. This is completed by an occupational therapist or physiotherapist.

The costs of having the assessment and form completed needs to be included in your NDIS plan. Talk with your NDIS planner about this.

Assistive Technology refers to any device that helps you to do something that you would not be about to do, or would find difficult, on your own without help. This could be a recumbent trike. It’s a piece of equipment that will help you fulfil your goals.

You could also label your recumbent trike as assistive equipment for recreation. This means your recumbent trike will assist you to participate in sports and recreational activities.

We look forward to talking with you about how a recumbent trike will assist and support you to fulfil your goals. Give us a call today or contact us. We’re here to help!

You may also find the following article helpful … My NDIS Budget Won’t Cover My Recumbent Trike.