Mobility Aids

Falling through the gaps 

This subject is a bit of a problem. Our people experience problems getting access to mobility aids. There are three main reasons for this: 

• FND is often not recognised as a real condition by local funding organisations 

• many medics and organisations expect that FND patients will quickly recover, and some agencies state that your disability needs to be 6 months or more 

• many medics feel that encouraging mobility aids encourages symptoms. 

The majority of our people do require mobility aids to get by long term and they end up funding these themselves. Due to budget constraints these are often begged and borrowed and less than perfect. 

We have not yet heard of any agencies that will support us, other than on the very rare occasion when ACC admits the connection between trauma and FND. 

A small number have been given them by their local health board. 

If we do end up becoming a formal organisation in the future, it is likely that funding mobility aids will become a primary role. 

Here is some info from the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) on this. 

Some people have secured funding from the lotteries commission. 

You could try some of the following:

• here is a site that talks about access to mobility aids in Aotearoa 

• Enable also help with mobility aids 

• for those in Tamaki Makaurau and Northland talk to Accessable 

• this site gives general info on financial support for disabled people in Aotearoa.