Material support

Material support to disabled people in the Region of Wallonia

Climbing a stair, reaching a class room, going to a medical appointment, taking a shower are some of the challenges disabled people face in everyday life. Hopefully, support to mobility can be reimbursed by the health care insurance. The application must be submitted to the medical board of your health care insurance fund by your bandage person .

Thanks to the system of single counter and with your written consent, your medical-advisor can submit your application to the  AWIPH (Agence Wallonne pour l'Intégration des Personnes Handicapées - Walloon Agency for the Integration of Disabled People ) or to the Brussels Service for French-speaking Disabled People so that you can benefit from the help of these bodies.

The AWIPH assists disabled people through

1. The support of campaigns disseminating information on technical assistance.  

The AWIPH grants subsidies to charities and non-profit making organizations specialized in home refitting, new technologies and equipments targeting handicaps. Non-profit making organization staff reports on the needs of the disabled child after visiting his/her home so as to send a subsidy request to the AWIPH.  

The AWIPH has a range of updated documentation allowing price comparison of products and services provided by companies in the Belgian territory.  

L'AWIPH conventionne des associations qui possèdent une expsertise en matière d'aménagement de la maison, de nouvelles technologies et d'équipement. Les asbl se rendent au domicile de l'enfant handicapé, établissent un rapport pour déterminer le matériel et les aménagements adéquats. L'agence met aussi à votre disposition un choix de documentation qui permet de comparer les offres de services et les prix des sociétés commerciales.

Coordination of Information and Advice on Technical Assistance

CICAT - Coordination des Informations et des Conseils en Aides Techniques

Rue de la Rivelaine, 21

6061 Charleroi

071/20 55 06

Fax : 071/205 116

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The AWIPH supports the non-profit making organization ANLH (Association Nationale pour le Logement des Handicapés – National Charity for the Accommodation of Disabled People). This association has developed an online data bank focused on technical assistance: www.accesat.be

2.  The AWIPH provides financial support to refitting costs and technical assistance

This support is intended to promote the integration of the disabled person at home, at school, at the place of work and during his travelling. This type of help has been qualified as “Material Support”.

A list of individual support for integration can be provided by the Regional Office under request.

Should you require any further information, please contact 0800/16 061.

The list of refitting and technical assistance comprises:

• Support care and personal protection (such as perforated seats, toilet, shower and bath seats, diapers);

• aids for personal mobility (canes, crutches, adaptations and transformations for cars, motorized mobile chairs for walking disabled people, portable ramps, guide dogs, complément pour apprentissage de la conduite automobile);

• aids for activities such as reading, writing, listening and talking (adapted computers, Braille material, wireless transmitters, communication devices);

• aids to home refitting;

• aid for the refitting and rehabilitation of houses such as the inclusion of additional areas, adaptation of rooms, customized furniture, electric beds and mattresses, anti-bedsore mattresses, lift for wheel chairs, bars and handles, electrical devices for opening and closing doors,  lifts, platforms and stair lifts, etc.

Even if a subvention cost for a specific aid is not mentioned in the list or a requirement is not filled, the application for aid can be sent to the Regional Office. The request will be then submitted to the Committee Management Agency.  

How to do it?

Submit your application for financial support to the Regional Office. It can ask you to provide further information such as:  

- one or several quotations;

- a medical advice or a disciplinary report specifying the reason of the support and its link with the disability  and/or a report drafted by a specialized service or an autonomous expert. These reports are free of charge for the requester.  However, the requester can also pay for those advices as its costs shall be reimbursed by the AWIPH under the maximum amount provided for the requested report(s).

In some cases, when the request is to be submitted to the Committee Management Agency, a social worker or occupational therapist visits the requester’s home to collect all required information allowing the decision to be taken by the AWIPH.

In order to the AWIPH to take a decision, the Regional Office will check that:

- the presented expenses are related to the handicap;

- the financial support cannot be supported by bodies such as health care insurances covering sickness and disabilities, liability insurances, etc.

Warning: Please send your request BEFORE ordering anything to a certified supplier. AWIPH is not valid for a period preceding the request.

Listed suppliers are available on www.accesat.be

Are there remaining costs left for the parents of a disabled child?

As from 2004, technical assistance, home refitting or a provision of services is no longer to be taken in charge by the disabled person. However, other costs remain at the disabled person’s expenses and are quite high. In view of this, please contact the CICAT as it is a reliable body providing useful information and a list of competitive prices of suppliers. The AWIPH also advises all material to be bought for home, to be previously tested at home, in the context of daily activities.

Request for support in PDF format  

More information

AWIPH

Walloon Agency for the Integration of Disabled People

AWIPH - Agence Wallonne pour l'Intégration des Personnes Handicapées

Rue de la Rivelaine 21

6061 Charleroi

071/20 57 11

Fax : 071/23 87 74

Toll free : 0800/160.61

www.awiph.be

Resource and Evaluation Center for Technologies Serving Disabled People

CRETH - Centre de Ressources et d'Evaluation des Technologies au service des personnes Handicapées

Rue de Brussels, 61

5000 Namur

081/22 90 61 ext 2331

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

http://www.creth.be/index2.php

Coordination of Information and Advice on Technical Assistance

CICAT - Coordination des Informations et des Conseils en Aides Techniques

Rue de la Rivelaine, 21

6061 Charleroi

071/20 55 06  Toll free  0800/16 061

Fax : 071/205 116

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

http://www.awiph.be/integration/etre_autonome/CICAT.html