Special Needs Resource Directory

 

Assistive Technology / Durable Medical Equipment (DME)

Children with special health care needs often require assistive technology, such as wheelchairs.

Children and young adults with special health care needs often require various forms of assistive technology and / or durable medical equipment (DME) -- items or services that help those with disabilities improve or keep their ability to function in everyday life.

From wheelchairs to communication aids, the Center for Infants and Children with Special Needs at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center connects patients and families with resources that can assist individuals with a broad range of limitations.

Each organization listed below provides different products or services and has its own eligibility criteria for potential funding.

For information about specially adapted toys, visit our Recreation resource page.

Equipment | Clothing | Services | Hearing Impaired | Visually Impaired | Funding | Other Helpful Sites

Equipment

  • American Discount Home Medical Equipment provides wheelchairs, scooters, adjustable and hospital beds, walkers, lifts, respiratory aids and a variety of other equipment options.
  • AbilityHub offers products that serve a variety of special needs, including augmentative communication, mouse and keyboard alternatives, and switches.
  • AbilityStore offers assistive technology for learning, hearing, vision, communication and mobility.
  • Acapella", is a device used to mobilize pulmonary secretions and can be used in virtually any spatial orientation.
  • Care Medical provides a wide variety of customized equipment including wheelchairs, specialty strollers, lift chairs, bath equipment, hospital beds and custom seating. They serve Cincinnati, Dayton and Northern Kentucky.
  • Care Trak perimeter alarm and locator package can alert you when your child wanders from your yard or your home.
  • Child Wellness Fair facilitates the donation of medical equipment and supplies and helps connect families with needed resources.
  • Cincinnati Bell Customer Support services has equipment and assistance for individuals with speech / hearing impairments, physical impairments and other special needs. You can contact their Special Needs Department at 513-565-4424 (voice only), 513-241-2899 (TDD/TTY) or 513-241-2942 (Fax). 
  • Cough Assist™, manufactured by JH Emerson Company, safely and effectively clears retained broncho-pulmonary secretions, reducing the risk of respiratory complications.
  • disABILITY Information and Resources provides links to manufacturers in the areas of assistive devices, transfer lifts, adaptive clothing, exercise devices, medical equipment, reading aides and toys.
  • Easter Seals of Southwestern Ohio offers a medical equipment loan program and a car seat training and loan Program.
  • EnableMart offers a wide range of products for children with special needs, including hearing, mobility and communication devices.
  • Equipment Shop offers a variety of products for children with special needs, including therapy and exercise balls, seating and positioning devices and eating aids.
  • Eyegaze Communication System enables individuals with complex physical disabilities control a computer through the use of the eyes.
  • E-Z-On™ Adjustable Vest positions children and adults in a car, van or bus. It can be used to restrain children with psychiatric / behavior issues during vehicle transport.
  • Flutter", manufactured by Axcan Pharma, is a secretion removal device for Hands-Free CPT that effectively and efficiently removes harmful secretions from the airways of patients with mucus producing respiratory conditions.
  • Independent LivingTechnologies has a variety of assistive technology items including furniture, household, mobility, computer devices, learning and communication equipment.
  • Lifeline provides a medical alert emergency response system.
  • The Percussionaire Impulsator" (IPV") provides for a total Pneumatically powered (self-contained) therapy system for administrating Intrapulmonary Percussive Ventilation (IPV") for long-term cardiopulmonary care.
  • PercussiveNeb™, manufactured by Vortran Medical Technology, is a high-frequency intrapulmonary percussive nebulizer intended for the clearance of endobronchial secretions.
  • Posey has products for fall management, bed safety, wound prevention, wheelchair seating and patient restraint.
  • Quake", manufactured by Thayer Medical, offers comprehensive and convenient secretion clearance therapy in a portable, easy-to-use, handheld device.
  • SleepSafe Bed offers a safe alternative to a hospital bed.
  • TheraPEP" is the easy-to-use system for mobilizing secretions in children with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including cystic fibrosis (CF), as well as patients recovering from surgery. 
  • The Vest™, manufactured by Hillenbrand Industries, is an easy-to-use airway clearance device for both children and adults.
  • The Wheelchair Foundation is an international nonprofit organization that assists children and adults with financial needs obtain wheelchairs. You can also subscribe to their free newsletter. 

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Clothing

  • Adaptations by Adrian provides a wide variety of adaptive clothing and accessories.
  • disABILITY Information and Resources provides links to manufacturers of adaptive clothing.
  • Foot Solutions, in the Greater Cincinnati area, assists families in finding appropriate shoes for individuals with disabilities. They have other locations that you can search for by zip code.
  • My Pool Pal offers a variety of aquatic products, including flotation swimsuits and devices, special needs swim diapers, and sun suits and hats.
  • Professional Fit Clothing offers custom alterations and adaptive clothing including clothing protectors, elastic waistpants, incontinence products and wheelchair accessories.

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Services

  • The Aaron W. Perlman Center for Children housed at Cincinnati Children's provides assessments, consultation, advocacy and support to children and adults on a wide array of assistive technology.
  • Children's Hospital Trauma Services provides a child safety seat guide and a complete listing of car seat safety fitting station locations in the Greater Cincinnati area. 
  • The Home Care Services Division at Cincinnati Children's provides rehabilitative services and assistance with home medical equipment, including adaptive wheelchairs for children and standers.
  • Abilities First Foundation provides assessments, consultations and training regarding mobility aides and augmentative / alternative communication devices for individuals with physical disabilities in Southwestern Ohio.  
  • Communication Aid Manufacturers Association provides a way to order free product catalogs from participating manufactures and conducts nationwide workshops about use of available products.
  • Hamilton County Educational Service Center consults with Hamilton County school districts (with the exception of Cincinnati Public Schools) to provide planning for students with assistive devices.  
  • Redwood Assistive Technology Resource Center provides evaluations for computer access, augmentative communication and environmental access. Assistive technology is available for demonstration or rental for trial use.   
  • Southwestern Ohio Special Education Regional Resource Center (SERRC) provides information, support and training has a lending library for school districts for adaptive software and hardware, augmentative communication devices and adapted toys. The center also has a computer lab where students can test the equipment available on-site. The center does not provide assessment or training on specific devices, but it does provide workshops on assistive technology. A directory of SERRC offices in other areas in Ohio is available. 
  • Youreable.com offers information, products and services for disabled people in a community-based web site.

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Hearing Impairment

  • Hearing Speech and Deaf Center of Greater Cincinnati provides a variety of assistive listening devices for people who are deaf / hard of hearing. The agency defines deaf based on functional ability, use of sign language and affiliation with the Deaf Community. Devices include hearing aides, FM receivers, adapted alarm clocks and other appliances, and TTYs for telephone use. Assessments, training and technical support are provided on equipment. BVR funding, Medicaid and sliding fee scale are accepted.
  • Medicaid will pay for some augmentative communication devices that are necessary for basic communication. To be eligible for an augmentative communication device through Medicaid, a person must be unable to express basic needs and wants, transfer information, achieve social closeness or demonstrate social etiquette. Devices must be prescribed by a licensed speech / language pathologist. See Financial Assistance for more information about eligibility for Medicaid services.

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Visual Impairment

  • The Cincinnati Association for the Blind offers a Computer Access Service that provides information, evaluation, training and consultation regarding computer access technology for people who are blind or visually impaired. Computer access technology includes devices that convert print or graphics into Braille, large print or synthetic speech. The Low Vision Service provides evaluation, information, training and consultation regarding devices that enhance usable vision.
  • Clovernook Center for the Blind provides assessment, consultation, training and follow-up support for a wide variety of adaptive products for persons with visual impairment. These include low vision aides, speech synthesizers and screen reader programs, and Braille displays.

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Funding

Funding for assistive technology for children can come from your school, Medicaid and private insurance companies or local disability-related organizations and agencies. The Individuals with Disablities Education Act requires public schools to provide a free and appropriate education and related services, including assistive technology, to meet the unique educational needs of children with disabilities. Medicaid and private insurance companies are increasingly recognizing augmentative / alternative communication devices as medically necessary forms of durable medical equipment. Unfortunately, there is often not a clear answer on who should pay, and obtaining funding usually requires patience and creativity.  

  • The American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and the Digital Federal Credit Union (DCU) offer AAPD members a wide range of easily accessible financial loans for products that assist people with disabilities.
  • Assistive Technology Law Center provides information about resources that provide funding assistive technology devices. 
  • Bureau for Children with Medical Handicaps (BCMH) may provide funding for certain types of assistive technology deemed medically necessary, including braces, hearing aides and medical supplies. For children ages 0-3 years, BCMH may fund augmentative communication devices.

    Funding is only provided after the other funding sources such as private insurance, Medicaid, special education services and Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation (BVR) have been denied. See Financial Assistance for information about eligibility and additional services.
  • Family Resource Services Program may fund equipment that promotes self-sufficiency or inclusion, prevents or reduces inappropriate institutional care, or furthers family unity. In order to be eligible an individual must qualify for MR/DD services. Also, there may be a percentage of cost share depending on taxable income.
  • Medicaid will pay for some assistive technology / durable medical equipment devices that are necessary for daily function. See Financial Assistance for more information about eligibility for Medicaid services.
  • MRDD County Boards of the Ohio Department of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities fund assistive devices for consumers employed in a workshop setting through one of its adult centers or who are receiving supported employment services.

    MRDD focuses on communication devices, but will fund all types of assistive technology. Referrals must be made through an MRDD service coordinator. See MRDD for additional information on eligibility for services.
  • National Organization Caring for Kids (NOCK) provides grants for communications devices for children with severe communication impairment caused by a chronic illness. 
  • Rehabilitation Services Commission (RSC) provides funding for assistive technology if it is necessary to achieve a vocational goal. The commission provides vocational, rehabilitation and counseling for individuals with disabilities through two programs: the Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation (BVR) that serves all special-needs individuals, and the Bureau of Services for the Visually Impaired (BSVI).

    Services must be provided through an individualized plan for employment (IPE) developed by the person, the rehabilitation counselor or other involved individuals.
  • Social Security (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) may help purchase assistive technology through work incentive programs. Work incentive plans set aside income earned at a job toward cost of a device without effecting monthly benefits. See Financial Assistance for additional information about eligibility for Social Security services.

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Other Helpful Sites

Here are some other helpful sites related to assistive technology:

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If your questions are not fully answered by our Special Needs Resource Directory and its links, please contact us via email.

Rev. 6/08