Skip to content
Feedback button

Physical Disabilities


If you’re an adult with physical disabilities and you want to see if you are eligible for help from the Council, contact us to arrange a needs assessment

If you look after a child with physical disabilities and want to see if they are eligible for help from the Council, contact us to arrange a child’s needs assessment.

For details of local suppliers of wheelchairs, equipment and services to help you at home please visit Support in Cornwall

Support in Cornwall

Please select a subject below to find out more;

Locations

Changing Places toilets have additional features and more space to meet the needs of people with disabilities.

These include:

  • an adult sized changing bench and a tracking hoist system or mobile hoist if this is not possible
  • adequate space in the changing area for the disabled person and up to two carers
  • a centrally placed toilet with room either side for the carers
  • a screen or curtain to allow the disabled person and carer some privacy

See the Changing Places Toilet Map for facilities across Cornwall.

Boosting Facilities

We are promoting Changing Places Toilets to help more residents and visitors to access more places.  Take a look at the changing places toilets guidance on creating one at your establishment, which also includes information on mobile facilities.

There are also two case studies where facilities have been installed at the Eden Project and Cornwall Services.

Sometimes a piece of equipment can help you to stay in your own home or to get out and about safely so you can remain independent.

This could include things like a walking stick, commode, lifeline alarm, fall sensors, special phones, smoke alarms and more.

Buying your own equipment

You can get free advice about products that make daily living easier from AskSARA.

You can find out about a range of assistive technology, such as a personal alarm system or sensors that monitor your health provided by Assisted living for independence. Contact the Alfi (Assisted Living for Independence) team on 01872 224521 for details.

Tremorvah Industries provide a large range of equipment to help you with daily living.

You can buy some equipment locally or online.  Our Cornwall Care and Support Directory has details of local suppliers of wheelchairs, equipment to help you at home and more.

Cornwall Mobility offer advice and solutions for passengers who have difficulty getting into or out of a vehicle or for those who have difficulty getting a wheelchair or scooter into or out of a vehicle. They have a range of equipment available for you to try, including a wheelchair accessible vehicle, swivel seats, wheelchair and scooter and person hoists.  They also have a range of specialist car seats and harnesses for children. 

Assisted Living for Independence

Sometimes called Lifeline or button alarm, Alfi (Assisted Living for Independence) is a Cornwall Council service with 24/7 monitoring from a locally based monitoring centre.  You must have at least one emergency responder in order to use the service. 

Lifeline and assisted living

Help from the Council

In some cases the Council or the health service can help with providing equipment for disabled people.  If you want to see if you are eligible for help from the Council or the health service, contact us to arrange a needs assessment.

Returning loan equipment

If you have loan equipment that you don’t need any more, ring Cornwall Equipment Loan Service on 01208 269716.  They will arrange for it to be collected.

Or you can drop the equipment off at:

Unit 12,
Victoria Business Park,
Roche
PL26 8LX.

Use the links on this page or search our Community Directory to find out more about centres offering day services, short breaks or respite services for people with physical disabilities. 

We also have centres offering services for people with learning disabilities.

Echo Centre, Liskeard
Barras Place, Liskeard, PL14 6AY
Tel: 01579 347 836

Chy Koes and Tregarne
Chy Koes and Tregarne, North Street, St Austell, PL25 5QE
Tel: 01726 72429
Email: chykoes@cornwall.gov.uk
Find Chy-Koes on Facebook

Tremorvah Industries

Tremorvah Industries - workshop for people with disabilities
Threemilestone Industrial Estate, Truro, TR4 9LD
Tel: 01872 324340
Email:enquiries.tremorvah@cornwall.gov.uk
Find Tremorvah Industries on Facebook
Go to Tremorvah's web pages

We provide advice, information and aids for people who have serious difficulties with their sight or hearing and for their carers.  You can also find help available from other organisations on our Support in Cornwall website.

In some cases we, or health services, can help with providing services for people with sight or hearing loss.  If you want to see if you are eligible for help contact us to arrange a needs assessment.

What help is available?

The support we can offer includes:

  • Advice, information and signposting to other services
  • Needs assessments and carer’s assessments
  • Daily living equipment
  • Home adaptations
  • Personal budgets, depending on your level of need and financial circumstances

Adults with sight problems

If you have significant sight loss in both eyes that can’t be corrected with surgery or glasses, we can provide:

  • Training in independence skills to help with daily living, moving around and communicating.
  • Registration with the Council, following certification of your visual impairment.  This may entitle you to some concessions, such as help with NHS costs and public transport.  It can also help you with welfare benefits claims.

If your sight loss is less severe, we can give you advice about support available from other organisations.

Adults with hearing problems

If you have hearing problems, we can help with:

  • Learning to lip-read or learning sign language
  • Communication support, including interpreters or voice-to-text
  • Specialist equipment, such as visual doorbells and alarms
  • Telephone equipment, such as text phones or amplified handsets

Where else can I find support?

Hearing Loss Cornwall is a long established Cornish charity promoting inclusion and deaf awareness across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

Hearing Loss Cornwall can provide information, advice, training and communication support, including British Sign Language interpretation services.

Hearing loss Cornwall

What help is available for carers?

If you’re a carer, you have a right to a carer’s assessment.  This looks at the support you need to look after someone else.  You can have a carer’s assessment even if the person you look after doesn’t receive support from us.

Children and young people with sight problems

Our Vision Support Team is a specialist team comprising of:

  • Qualified Teachers of the Visually Impaired (QTVI)
  • Specialist Visually Assistive Technology Teacher
  • Habilitation Specialist

We work with children and young people (0-25 years) with a diagnosed visual impairment, together with their families, settings, schools (mainstream and specialist) and colleges, and other professionals .

Vision Support Team

Children and young people with hearing problems

Our Hearing Support Team provides specialist support for infants, children and young people in Cornwall affected by significant hearing loss

The Hearing Support Team is one of our SEN Support Services; the team provides families, schools and settings with advice on the educational management of hearing loss where this impacts significantly on the child or young person’s education.

Hearing Support Team

Sometimes a piece of equipment can help you to stay in your own home or to get out and about safely so you can remain independent.

This could include things like a walking stick, commode, lifeline alarm, fall sensors, special phones, smoke alarms and more.

Buying your own equipment

You can get free advice about products that make daily living easier from AskSARA.

You can find out about a range of assistive technology, such as a personal alarm system or sensors that monitor your health provided by Assisted living for independence. Contact the Alfi (Assisted Living for Independence) team on 01872 224521 for details.

Tremorvah Industries provide a large range of equipment to help you with daily living.

You can buy some equipment locally or online.  Our Cornwall Care and Support Directory has details of local suppliers of wheelchairs, equipment to help you at home and more.

Cornwall Mobility offer advice and solutions for passengers who have difficulty getting into or out of a vehicle or for those who have difficulty getting a wheelchair or scooter into or out of a vehicle. They have a range of equipment available for you to try, including a wheelchair accessible vehicle, swivel seats, wheelchair and scooter and person hoists.  They also have a range of specialist car seats and harnesses for children. 

Assisted Living for Independence

Sometimes called Lifeline or button alarm, Alfi (Assisted Living for Independence) is a Cornwall Council service with 24/7 monitoring from a locally based monitoring centre.  You must have at least one emergency responder in order to use the service.  Further informaton can be found on the Alfi web page.

Help from the Council

In some cases the Council or the health service can help with providing equipment for disabled people.  If you want to see if you are eligible for help from the Council or the health service, contact us to arrange a needs assessment.

Returning loan equipment

If you have loan equipment that you don’t need any more, ring Cornwall Equipment Loan Service on 01208 269716.  They will arrange for it to be collected.

Or you can drop the equipment off at:

Unit 12,
Victoria Business Park,
Roche
PL26 8LX.