home

Funding & Access · Reviewed 29 October 2026

Who pays for VR? Start with your situation.

Pick the pathway that fits. Each one explains what’s involved, what to check and where the official rules are. It’s general information, not an eligibility decision.

Assistive technology in an NDIS plan

NDIS

Nothing is automatic. Every NDIS support must meet the reasonable and necessary criteria, and the NDIS supports rules list some kinds of items that are not NDIS supports.

What’s involved, conditions and next steps

What it involves

  • Assistive technology (AT) is funded through a participant’s plan, not bought by the NDIS on request.
  • The NDIA groups AT by cost per item: low cost under $1,500, mid cost $1,500 to $15,000, high cost over $15,000.

Key conditions

  • All NDIS supports must meet the reasonable and necessary criteria.
  • The NDIA says it can’t fund AT that is more appropriately funded by other government services.
  • The NDIS supports rules (transitional rules made in 2024) list items that are not NDIS supports, including “standard computers, standard computer accessories, consoles and games”, and list “gaming therapy” as not evidence-based. They don’t name VR headsets. How they apply to a particular item is a question for the NDIA.

Evidence or approvals to look into

  • No quote is needed for AT items under $15,000; items over $15,000 need a quote and an assessment by a professional AT advisor.
  • For higher-risk AT, the NDIA requires AT advice before you get it.

Limits

  • VRTA can’t tell you whether an item will be funded for you.
  • The supports rules can change. Check the current version on the Federal Register of Legislation.

Next steps

  • Ask your planner, local area coordinator or support coordinator how the supports rules apply to what you’re considering.
  • Get AT advice where it’s required, and keep it with your records.

Official information

Guide: NDIS and assistive technology

Support at Home and the AT-HM scheme

Aged Care

Support at Home participants can be assessed for separate assistive technology funding through the AT-HM scheme. Items must fit the AT-HM list. The guidelines don’t mention VR.

What’s involved, conditions and next steps

What it involves

  • The AT-HM scheme gives Support at Home participants funding for assistive technology and home modifications, separate from their ongoing services budget.
  • Support at Home replaced Home Care Packages and Short-Term Restorative Care on 1 November 2025.
  • Assistive technology tiers: low under $500, medium up to $2,000, high up to $15,000 (or more if needed).

Key conditions

  • The AT-HM list sets out the products and equipment participants can access, and how: low risk, under advice, or prescribed.
  • Prescribed items must be prescribed by a suitably qualified health professional, such as an occupational therapist or physiotherapist.
  • Out of scope: general household expenses (the guidelines give refrigerators and microwaves as examples) and items already funded under other Support at Home streams.

Evidence or approvals to look into

  • An aged care assessment, which includes assessment for the AT-HM scheme and approval for a funding tier.
  • A prescription, for items in the prescribed category.

Limits

  • The AT-HM guidelines (version 1, October 2025) don’t mention VR, gaming or entertainment products. Whether any VR equipment fits a list category is for the assessor and provider.

Next steps

  • Ask the person’s Support at Home provider or assessor what the AT-HM list allows.
  • If an item needs prescription, involve an OT or physiotherapist first.

Official information

Classroom VR and students with disability

Schools

Classroom technology is a school or education-system decision. For a student with disability, the Disability Standards for Education require schools to consult and make reasonable adjustments.

What’s involved, conditions and next steps

What it involves

  • The Disability Standards for Education 2005 bind all education providers, from preschools to universities, public and private.
  • Providers must consult about how a student’s disability affects their education, and keep consulting while the student is enrolled.

Key conditions

  • Adjustments must be reasonable: decision-makers weigh the student’s disability, the student’s or their support person’s views, the effect on others, and costs and benefits. The Standards don’t require changes that would cause unjustifiable hardship.
  • The NDIA says it can’t fund AT that is more appropriately funded by other government services.

Evidence or approvals to look into

  • The school’s or department’s approval process for new technology, and its privacy rules for student accounts.
  • Each maker’s age guidance. Apple says Vision Pro is designed for people 13 and over; Meta requires an age-appropriate Meta account for Quest.

Limits

  • Processes differ between states and territories and between government, Catholic and independent schools. VRTA doesn’t describe any one system’s procurement rules.

Next steps

  • Talk to the classroom teacher or the school’s learning support team.
  • Ask how new devices are approved, and arrange a supervised trial first.

Official information

Private health, life and other policies

Insurance

Only if your specific policy says so. Cover for equipment differs between insurers and policies, and there’s no general rule.

What’s involved, conditions and next steps

What it involves

  • Different kinds of insurance work in different ways: private health extras, life, income protection and total and permanent disability policies, and motor accident schemes are all separate.

Key conditions

  • What your policy wording covers, any limits, and whether the insurer must approve an item before you buy it.

Evidence or approvals to look into

  • Ask the insurer in writing: is this item covered, what evidence do you need, and do you need to approve it first?

Limits

  • VRTA can’t interpret your policy, and nothing here suggests a VR product is covered.

Next steps

  • Check your policy documents, then ask your insurer and keep their answer in writing.

Official information

Work injury schemes

Workers Compensation

Each state and territory runs its own workers’ compensation scheme, and there are three Commonwealth schemes, each under different laws. Whether equipment is covered is decided under your scheme and claim.

What’s involved, conditions and next steps

What it involves

  • Safe Work Australia says benefits may cover medical and hospital costs and other rehabilitation treatments, along with other types of support.

Key conditions

  • Your scheme’s rules and your claim decide what’s covered. Safe Work Australia doesn’t run the schemes.

Evidence or approvals to look into

  • Ask your claims manager or insurer before buying anything, and ask what evidence they need.

Limits

  • This isn’t legal advice, and VRTA doesn’t describe any one scheme’s rules.

Next steps

  • Contact the workers’ compensation authority for your scheme. Safe Work Australia lists them.

Official information

Buying a headset yourself

Private Purchase

Anyone can buy a headset from a retailer. Compare on your needs first, try one if you can, and know your rights if something goes wrong.

What’s involved, conditions and next steps

What it involves

  • Use the Headset Finder to compare headsets on seated use, glasses, input, weight, audio and setup, from maker sources.

Key conditions

  • Under the consumer guarantees, a business must at least repair a minor problem free of charge. For a major problem with a product, you can choose a refund or replacement.
  • You aren’t entitled to a refund for change of mind under the guarantees, but a store must follow its own change-of-mind policy if it has one.

Evidence or approvals to look into

  • Keep the receipt and the product details.

Limits

  • VRTA doesn’t sell products. Prices and stock are set by each retailer.

Next steps

  • Shortlist with the Headset Finder, then check the retailer’s returns policy before you buy.

Official information

Open the Headset Finder