SPECIALIST EQUIPMENT
Whilst equipment for you should be provided by your local authority, it can take a long time to arrive and may not always be 100% suitable. Below is a list of some of organisations that can help either with the provision of equipment or a grant to enable its purchase.
British Red Cross – Medical Loan Service The British Red Cross can provide a variety of equipment for those in need and it is usually available within 24 hours in an emergency. The types of equipment on offer include wheelchairs, back rests, bath seats, commodes and bedpans. There are more than 900 outlets around the UK.
Demand This is a charity dedicated to helping people with disabilities that require bespoke equipment to help them with their everyday lives. It helps people of all ages and with all types of disability, working with individuals to design and manufacture equipment to make daily life easier and to help them enjoy sport and leisure activities. Demand offers these services free of charge.
Disability Equipment Register This not-for-profit organisation provides a service for disabled people and their families to enable them to buy and sell items of used disability equipment on a direct one-to-one basis.
http://www.disabreg.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/
Disabled Living Foundation has an excellent website called Living Made Easy which has a comprehensive guide to equipment and suppliers. The charity provides impartial information and advice on anything from incontinence swimwear to wheelchairs but not the aids themselves.
Disability Grants can help you find out about all sorts of grants. They have a section about grants for household items, such as beds
http://www.disability-grants.org/grants-for-household-items.html
The Family Fund is the largest independent grant-giving organisation helping low-income families caring for a disabled child. It is a registered charity covering the whole of the UK and mainly funded by the national governments. It helps pay for equipment and leisure activities.
Fit4Used Offers a complete disabled access service and assessment of property to make life easier. Fit4Use designs any changes that are needed, advises on equipment and makes sure that it is delivered and installed correctly.
Independence at Home can help if you, or a member of your family, have a long term illness or disability and need financial help towards the cost of equipment, home adaptations or other essential items to improve your independence, comfort, safety and quality of life at home.
http://www.independenceathome.org.uk/index.html
Margaret’s Fund provides small disability grants to women for equipment
The Newlife Foundation provides essential equipment and helps families challenge unfair local council decisions when equipment is refused. The charity was established to help families let down by local authorities so they are used to requests from frustrated families for equipment like beds and wheelchairs. Newlife has an emergency equipment loan service for terminally ill children.
http://www.newlifecharity.co.uk/
RABI offers equipment grants to farming families with a financial need.
REMAP provides volunteer engineers to design equipment where nothing exists for a particular problem.
