My Experience of Using Equipment to Live Better with a Disability

Community Equipment Services: Helps people get useful items like walking aids, shower seats, hoists, hospital/profile beds or bed rails to make life at home safer and more comfortable. Wheelchairs: Provides manual or powered wheelchairs for people who find walking difficult, helping them move around more easily. Minor Adaptations: Small changes to the home—like adding handrails to make it easier and safer for someone to move around. Home Lift / Overhead Tracking Hoist: Special equipment fitted in the home to help people use stairs or to move someone who can’t do it themselves, making things safer for both the person and their carer. Electronic Assistive Technology: Tools that help people with disabilities do daily tasks, like communicating, controlling home appliances or using telecare systems that keep them safe at home e.g. fall/flood/chair sensors Other Prefer not to say

Occupational Therapists: Help people do everyday tasks more easily, especially after illness or injury. Physiotherapists: Help people move better and feel less pain after injuries, surgery, or health problems. Speech and Language Therapists: Help people who find it difficult to speak, understand, or swallow. Nurses: Provide care and support in people’s homes or for specific health needs. Social Workers: Support people through tough times, helping with things like housing, family issues, or health problems. Sensory Support Teams: Help people with sight or hearing loss to live more independently and stay connected. Other Prefer not to say

Neurological conditions – e.g. Stroke, Multiple Sclerosis, Motor Neurone Disease, Epilepsy Neurodevelopmental conditions – e.g. Autism, ADHD Musculoskeletal or physical disabilities – e.g. Scoliosis, limb loss Sensory impairments – e.g. Deafness, Blindness Long-term conditions – e.g. Arthritis, Diabetes, Chronic pain, Cancer Age-related conditions – e.g. Osteoporosis, Memory loss Palliative or end-of-life care needs – e.g. Cancer, Heart failure Cognitive impairments – e.g. Dementia, Brain injury Learning disabilities – e.g. Down syndrome, Global developmental delay Mental health conditions – e.g. Depression, Anxiety Other Prefer not to say

Belfast Health and Social Care Trust (BHSCT): Greater Belfast Area Northern Health and Social Care Trust (NHSCT): Coleraine, Ballymena, Antrim, Carrickfergus, Magherafelt, Cookstown South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust (SEHSCT): Dundonald, Newtownards, Bangor, Ards Peninsula, Lisburn, Ballynahinch, Newcastle Southern Health and Social Care Trust (SHSCT): Dungannon, Armagh, Newry, Craigavon, Banbridge, Mourne Western Health and Social Care Trust (WHSCT): Enniskillen, Omagh, Strabane, Derry/Londonderry, Limavady) Community and Voluntary organisation Other Not sure Prefer not to say