WISCONSIN FUNDING GUIDE
Who Pays for Assistive Technology in Wisconsin?
Six funding paths, what each one covers, what each one requires, and how to tell which to try first.
The right tool can change what someone is able to do on their own: at school, at work, at home, and in the community. Then comes the question every family and adult asks next: how do we pay for it?
While there is always the option of paying for it yourself, for many people the cost of assistive technology is either out of reach or would greatly impact the money needed to pay for other things in life.
In Wisconsin there isn't one answer. There are six main funding paths. Each one pays for different things, for different reasons, and asks for different paperwork. Most people qualify for more than one.
This guide walks through:
Which path to try first, based on where the tool will be used and what it's for
What each path covers, and what it usually won't
What each path requires before it says yes
Jump to information about a funding path
One rule that runs through all of it: every funder wants to know why this tool, for this person, for this goal. A clear assessment that ties the tool to a specific need (graduating, keeping a job, communicating, living independently) is the single most useful document you can bring to any of these programs.
Where to start
Answer these questions. A “yes” gives you a starting place. You may find that you or your family member qualifies under more than one funding path
Tip: Paths can be combined. A school may provide a communication device for school use while Medicaid covers a personal device, or WisAbility may fund job-site software while Family Care covers home tools. Funders usually expect you to try the most responsible source first, so tell each one what the others have said.
A student with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP)?
Talk with your student’s IEP team. If the IEP team agrees the tool is needed for the student's education, the district provides it at no cost to the family.
Need to get, keep, or advance in a job?
Start with WisAbility (formerly DVR). This includes students in transition who have a job goal.
Enrolled in Family Care, IRIS, CLTS, or Katie Beckett?
Talk with the care team or IRIS consultant (adults) or the county CLTS support and service coordinator (children). These programs can cover tools for daily living, communication, and community life.
Is it a medical device, like a speech-generating device, a hearing-related device, or other durable medical equipment?
Try health insurance: Wisconsin Medicaid (ForwardHealth), BadgerCare Plus, Medicare, or a private plan.
Still a gap?
Use WisTech to borrow or try the device first, then look at WisLoan, TEPP for phone-related equipment, and self-pay options like ABLE accounts and HSA/FSA funds.
Six Funding Paths
Each path follows the same pattern, so you can compare them quickly.
PATH 1
WisAbility (formerly DVR)
Who it’s for
People with disabilities who want to get, keep, or advance in a job, including high school students who are getting ready for work or post-secondary training.
What it covers
Assistive technology that removes a barrier to an employment goal. That can include computer access, reading and writing software, executive functioning tools, hearing and vision technology, ergonomic equipment, and the training to use them.
What it requires
An application and eligibility determination
An Individualized Plan for Employment (IPE) that names the job goal. The AT has to connect to that goal.
Usually an AT assessment that recommends specific tools and explains how they support the goal
Depending on income, the person may be asked to contribute toward some services
How to start
Apply online or through your local WisAbility office. Students can be referred by their school.
Good to know: Ask your counselor to add the AT assessment to your plan early. A clear assessment report speeds up purchasing.
PATH 2
Family Care, IRIS, CLTS, Katie Beckett
Who it’s for
Family Care and IRIS: Adults who meet the functional and financial eligibility rules for long-term care. Family Care uses a managed care organization (MCO) and a care team. IRIS ("Include, Respect, I Self-Direct") gives the person a budget to direct their own services.
CLTS (Children's Long-Term Support): Children and youth under 22 with physical, developmental, or severe emotional disabilities, through the county.
Katie Beckett Medicaid: Children under 19 with long-term disabilities who need an institutional level of care, based on the child's income, not the parents'.
What it covers
Tools that support daily living, communication, safety, and community participation, such as adaptive aids, communication devices, environmental controls, and smart home or reminder technology
What it requires
The tool has to be in the person's plan (the member-centered plan in Family Care, the IRIS plan, or the CLTS individual service plan) and tied to an outcome the person wants. Expect the team to ask whether Medicaid card services or another source should pay first.
How to start
Adults: contact your local Aging and Disability Resource Center (ADRC) to enroll, or talk to your care team or IRIS consultant if you're already enrolled.
Children: contact your county's CLTS program or ADRC. For Katie Beckett, contact a Katie Beckett consultant through DHS.
PATH 3
Your school district
Who it’s for
Students ages 3–21 receiving special education services.
What it covers
Any AT device or service the IEP team decides the student needs to receive a free appropriate public education. That includes the evaluation, the device, training for the student, staff, and family, and, when the IEP team agrees it's needed, use of the device at home.
What it requires
The IEP team must consider the student's AT needs at every IEP meeting. This is required by law.
An AT evaluation, requested in writing, if the team doesn't have enough information
The tool written into the IEP (in supplementary aids and services, or wherever your district documents it)
How to start
Put a written request for an AT evaluation to the student's case manager or special education director.
Good to know: The device belongs to the district. If it needs to go with the student after graduation, plan for that during transition and bring WisAbility or Medicaid in early.
PATH 4
Health insurance
Who it’s for
Anyone with coverage, when the tool is medically necessary.
What it covers
Durable medical equipment such as speech-generating devices, some hearing and low vision devices, and adaptive equipment. Coverage depends on the plan.
What it requires
A prescription from a physician
An evaluation from the right professional (for example, a speech-language pathologist for a speech-generating device)
Prior authorization for most devices, with documentation of medical necessity and of the less costly options that were tried or ruled out
How to start
Ask your doctor or therapist to begin the prior authorization. For Wisconsin Medicaid, the provider submits it through ForwardHealth.
Not sure which path fits? An AT assessment gives every funder what they need to see.
PATH 5
WisTech and Wisconsin loan programs
Who it’s for
Anyone in Wisconsin, at any age, especially when other paths don't cover the whole cost or you want to try before you buy.
What it covers
WisTech: Wisconsin's federally funded AT program. It offers device demonstrations and short-term loans, so you can try a tool before anyone pays for it.
WisLoan: Low-interest financing to buy AT.
TEPP (Telecommunications Equipment Purchase Program): Vouchers toward phones and telecommunication equipment for people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind, or have a speech or mobility disability that limits phone use.
What it requires
Varies by program; demos and loans have the fewest requirements.
How to start
Contact WisTech through the Wisconsin Department of Health Services, or your regional Independent Living Center.
PATH 6
Self-pay and family resources
Who it's for: Anyone filling a gap, or when the tool is needed faster than a funder can approve it.
ABLE accounts
Tax-advantaged savings for people whose disability began before age 46, without affecting SSI or Medicaid eligibility in most cases.
HSA or FSA funds
Many AT purchases count as qualified medical expenses with a letter of medical necessity.
Tax deductions
AT bought for medical reasons may be deductible. Check with a tax professional.
Community Groups
Service clubs, disability organizations, and foundations sometimes fund individual devices.
Good to know: Keep every receipt and the assessment report. If a funder approves the tool later, ask whether they can reimburse it.
Frequently asked questions
-
Not always, but it helps with every path. Most funders want to see that the tool was matched to a specific need, and an AT assessment does that in a format they recognize.
-
Yes. Different programs can fund different tools, or the same tool for different settings. Be open with each funder about what the others are covering.
-
Ask the IEP team whether home use is needed for the student to make progress. If it isn't, look at Medicaid, CLTS, or Katie Beckett for a personal device.
-
It depends on who paid. School-purchased devices usually belong to the district. DVR, Medicaid, and long-term care purchases are usually the person's to keep. Ask before you accept.
-
It varies, from a few weeks to several months. Trying the tool through a WisTech loan while you wait keeps things moving and strengthens the request.
-
We complete AT assessments and write reports that funders can act on, for DVR, Family Care, IRIS, CLTS, schools, and private pay. Contact us to talk about your situation.
Want this as a printable PDF?
The full guide in one file, ready to print, save, or bring to your next IEP or planning meeting.