Australian Rehabilitation & Assistive Technology Association
Australian Rehabilitation & Assistive Technology Association
The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is designed to support a better life for hundreds of thousands of Australians with a significant and permanent disability and their families and carers. The NDIS is implemented by the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), an independent statutory agency http://www.ndis.gov.au/
The National Disability Insurance Scheme Act 2013 (NDIS Act) is the legislation which establishes:
ARATA advises and informs the NDIA about good practice in providing AT and related supports to Australians. The ARATA position is communicated in a 2012 Policy Paper:
ARATA's Policy on Assistive Technology and the NDIS (PDF 1.6Mb)
ARATA also summarised evidence and knowledge in AT practice in a series of background papers:
The ARATA 'Making a Difference with AT' Papers
These resources are available to AT practitioners, AT users and other stakeholders to support good practice in AT service delivery.
The ARATA Board and members promote the role of the AT practitioner and how AT services enhance great outcomes for people who use assistive technologies.
This joint project between ARATA and the Assistive Technology Suppliers' Association (ATSA), completed in 2013, outlines the rationale and recommended approaches to establishing an Australian national accreditation system for AT practitioners and suppliers.
The Project was funded by FaHCSIA and the NDIS through the Practical Design Fund. The Final Options Paper contains the full details of the work, and the Executive Summary provides an overview.
SupplementaryDataTablesA1andA2AccreditationPDFProject.xls (61kb)
In 2015, ARATA members participated in the NDIA’s New World Conference: Disability in the 21st Century http://www.ndis.gov.au/ndis-new-world-conference-2015
The NDIA released a discussion paper for assistive technology in December 2014. ARATA's response, submitted in February 2015 is available to download here. Alternative formats can be requested by emailing president@arata.org.au
The NDIA's Assistive Technology strategy was released 26 October 2015, with the following priorities:
Support and stimulate a vibrant and innovative supply-side market by providing a conduit for innovation and promoting the take-up of technology solutions.
Support and stimulate informed, active, participant-led demand by empowering participants to choose technology that best supports their needs.
Deliver a financially robust, sustainable scheme that generates economic and social value with the Agency only intervening to optimise outcomes for participants and economic value for the Scheme.
The NDIS AT Strategy can be accessed here - https://www.ndis.gov.au/providers/assistive-technology-faqs.html