Assistive Technology Grant for students with disabilities

Assistive technology helps students with a disability, who have difficulty communicating through speech and writing, to fully take part in education.

For example, a child who is visually impaired may need braille equipment. Or, a student with a physical disability may need a laptop with a joystick, rather than a standard mouse.

If a child has a physical or a communication disability, and they need specialist equipment to access the school curriculum, then their school can apply for an Assistive Technology Grant from the Department of Education and Youth.

In general, the grant is for students in primary school and post-primary school who have one or more of the following:

• Hearing impairment
• Visual Impairment
• Physical disability
• Severe or profound general learning disability

In some cases, students may also qualify if they have:

• A moderate general learning disability
• A specific learning disability
• A specific speech and language disorder
• Autism
• Multiple disabilities

No matter what disability a child has, the grant application must include medical (or other professional) reports, to show that they need specialist technology to access education. See ‘How to apply for the Assistive Technology Grant’ below.

The Assistive Technology Grant can be used to buy:

• A laptop or tablet with modified software
• Joysticks
• Keyboards
• Touch pads
• Tapes
• Braille equipment
• CCTV equipment with a distance camera
• Computer equipment for enhanced text reading
• Audio equipment for audiobooks
• Audiology equipment, including FM radio systems and Soundfield systems

New types of assistive technology are being developed all the time, so this list is not exhaustive.

Schools cannot use the grant for:

• TVs
• Phones or smartphones
• Internet access or phone connectivity charges
• Communication devices, or medical or therapy related devices, which are not specifically for education.

There is no upper limit for the Assistive Technology Grant. The amount given to the school depends on the cost of the equipment.

The school’s Board of Management is responsible for the insurance, maintenance, and repair of the assistive technology. If the repairs cost more than €20, and less than the initial cost of the equipment, then the school and claim a refund from the Department of Education and Youth.

Parents can’t apply for the Assistive Technology Grant for their child themselves. Instead, the school applies for the grant on behalf of the child.

If you think your child needs assistive technology to access education, you should speak to their school directly.

Application process and supporting documents

In general, your school applies to the local Special Needs Education Organiser (SENO) using the Assistive Technology Grant application forms on the NCSE website.

Or, if your child has a visual or hearing impairment, the school applies to the Visiting Teacher Service for Children with Sensory Impairment. The Visiting Teacher will then give recommendations to the SENO.

The school must submit supporting documents, such as:

• A recent professional assessment explaining the nature and extent of the child’s disability
• Details of the equipment most appropriate for the child’s needs
• A psychological assessment, if needed
• An occupational therapy report, or physiotherapy report, or speech and language report.

Schools must wait for the application to be approved before buying any equipment. If approved, the school must buy the equipment for the student within 3 months.

The school can appeal if:

• The application for the Assistive Technology grant has been refused
• The application has been granted but the school wants to appeal the amount, or the specific equipment provided.

Find detailed information about the appeals process for the Assistive Technology Grant on Gov.ie.

Usually, equipment bought with the Assistive Technology Grant is kept in the school. However, the school’s Board of Management can give permission for a student to use the equipment at home. For example, if the equipment is needed for homework.

The equipment belongs to the school and can be passed on to another student, or to another school, when it’s no longer needed by the child it was purchased for.

Read more about the Assistive Technology Grant scheme on Gov.ie.

Or, see detailed information about the scheme in Circular 10/2013 (pdf).

You can also read the NCSE’s research report, Assistive Technology in Supporting the Education of Children with Special Educational Needs – What Works Best? (pdf).