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Wheelchair Accessory - Powered Alternate Operator Control System

Line Item Description

This NDIS support item falls under the Capital budget's Assistive Technology (AT) category. It covers the provision of a Powered Alternate Operator Control System (AOCS) for a wheelchair.

An AOCS is a highly complex accessory that provides a means for a participant to independently operate their powered wheelchair when they cannot use the standard joystick or control method due to significant physical limitations (e.g., restricted hand/arm function, high-level quadriplegia, or progressive neurological conditions).

These systems are customised and may include:

Head/Chin Control: Operating the chair using head or chin movements.

Sip-and-Puff Control: Using breath control (inhaling/exhaling) to steer and control movement.

Attendant Control: Secondary control systems for a support person, which are often integrated with the primary user control.

This is classified as a high-cost, high-risk item. Therefore, it requires assessment, recommendation, and prescription from an appropriately qualified Assistive Technology assessor, such as a specialist Occupational Therapist or Physiotherapist, to ensure the complex control system is configured safely and precisely to the participant's individual and highly specific functional capacity. The goal of this support is to maximise the participant's independence and safety in navigating their environment.