Free rental of equipment for the disabled has begun. Applications can now be submitted

A centralized rental of assistive technologies for people with disabilities has been launched. It is designed to give people with disabilities the opportunity to use the devices they need for free. During the official opening, the President of the State Fund for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled (PFRON) announced that it is now possible to apply for the purchase of equipment. Pavel Vdovik, Deputy Minister of Family and Social Policy, assured that the purchase of equipment was preceded by expert consultations.

Free equipment rental for the disabled

For some time now, the government has announced the launch of free equipment rental for people with disabilities. Such a solution already exists in the world, but for our country it is a novelty (on a national scale). During a press conference (September 5, 2023), Pavel Vdovik, Deputy Minister of Family and Government Plenipotentiary for Disability Affairs, along with the presidents of PFRON and the State Agency for Strategic Reserves, announced that such a rental company had just started operating. The goal of the project is to provide free use of high-tech technologies to compensate for disabilities to people with special needs. The rental was created by the State Fund for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled.

What equipment can be rented?

The State Fund for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled (PFRD) has published a list of equipment that can be rented as part of the centralized rental of assistive technologies for people with disabilities. In total, 14,000 devices are available to people with disabilities. There are 123 positions in the list of rented equipment, including:

• braille devices,

• communication Tools AAC,

• electric carts,

• oxygen concentrators,

• rehabilitation beds.

“It’s not medical equipment rental, it’s high-tech assistive technology,” Deputy Family Minister and Government Commissioner for Disability Affairs said during a conference on Tuesday. Such equipment is planned to be sent to people with disabilities by courier.

Who can rent equipment for free?

Anyone who:

• holds a valid certificate of disability (i.e. a certificate issued to children under 16 years of age), or a certificate of severe or moderate disability, or an equivalent certificate,

• he has not received funding from PFRON or the National Health Fund for the same assistive technology he wants to borrow within 12 months prior to the date of the assistive technology loan application date.

The PFRON website also contains information that can also be accessed by persons who cannot use previously purchased equipment or devices or who have lost them due to accidental events (eg theft, destruction). Such persons should contact the Information and Advisory Center for People with Disabilities (TSIDON), operating under the regional branch of the Fund. With a positive conclusion, it will be possible to apply for equipment rental.

If the application is for the rental of a device listed in the annex to the Regulation of the Minister of Health on the list of medical devices issued on request, an order for the supply of orthopedic products and ancillary equipment issued by an authorized doctor must be attached. to that.

How do I apply for equipment rental for the disabled?

An application for the rental of such equipment must be submitted electronically in the Help Desk System (SDS). You can check the status of your application:

• hotline of the State Agency for Strategic Reserves (RARS), telephone: 228998922,

• by sending a message to the email address: [email protected].

Those wishing to rent equipment will have to pay a deposit of 2 percent of the cost of the device in advance.