Guide to equipment

As your child grows up, depending on their needs, they might need equipment to help them learn, move, eat or bathe.

This can mean anything from a specific feeding spoon to a specialised wheelchair.

Your local authority will provide some of this equipment but they can take time to provide the equipment and it may not be 100% suitable.

The Disability Living Foundation charity provides information on choosing equipment, gives examples of makes and lists recommended suppliers. They don’t sell equipment.

DLF has a warehouse in Paddington, West London, where you can book an appointment with their advisers to see examples and try equipment out.

They will also put you in touch with engineers who will design and make equipment for you if can’t find the right thing for your child.

They can be found here: www.dlf.org.uk

There is also a series of exhibitions called NAIDEX which are like the Motor Show for adult and children’s disability equipment.

Care providers and equipment manufacturers display goods and services. This is a good place to learn what’s available under one roof.

There are exhibitions at the London Excel, NEC Birmingham and Glasgow’s SECC.

Naidex can be found here: www.naidex.co.uk

We have put together a list of some organisations that provide equipment from car seats and wheelchairs to sensory equipment. This list can be found here