Carol Cohen
Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services
U.S. Department of Education
Since the amendment of the Technology-Related Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1998, states can receive discretionary grants to assist them in developing and implementing consumer-responsible, comprehensive statewide programs of technology-related assistance for individuals of all ages who have disabilities. Currently, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Trust Territories have an assistive technology project funded under this act. The Tech Act program is administered by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services of the U.S. Department of Education.
The Tech Act requires projects to examine barriers to accessing and obtaining assistive technology in their state and then work to permanently eliminate those barriers. In addition, each state and territory project has established a collaborative relationship through a grant or contract with a protection and advocacy agency (P&A) to provide legal representation and advocacy. In the decade that the Tech Act program has been in operation, projects have focused on changing legislation, policies, practices, and organizational structures to overcome barriers in three areas: access to assistive technology, availability of assistive technology, and funding for assistive technology.
Individual State Tech Act projects focus their activities on needs and barriers identified by the citizens with disabilities in their respective states. A complete listing of state projects and links to state Web sites can be found on the Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA) Web site (http://resna.org).
The following activities are just a few in which the Tech Act projects are engaged. While only one or two states may be used as an example, many other states may also be conducting similar activities:
Medicaid PoliciesState Tech Act projects have worked with their designated state agencies, including protection and advocacy (P&A) agencies, to change Medicaid policies so that adults and children can obtain the technology and services they need to live more independently. The Texas Tech Act Project, in concert with others, obtained changes in the states' Medicaid waiver for medically dependent children so that Medicaid now includes assistive technology as a covered service. The project also succeeded in obtaining improvements in the Medicaid home health benefits. The benefits now cover customized power wheelchairs. The Florida Tech Act Project (FAAST), along with the P&A agency, influenced the states' Medicaid reimbursement policies. Now Medicaid will reimburse schools for occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech-language pathology services provided to K–12 students who are eligible for Medicaid. Prior to this, schools absorbed these costs. The new policy will affect the 320,000 children using assistive technology in the state. Services for Infants and ToddlersState Tech Act projects have worked to include assistive technology in the early intervention services available to families and children. As a result, young children with disabilities, aged birth to three years old, will be able to develop, grow, and learn with the aid of assistive technology. In collaboration with its states and infant and toddler program, the Indiana Tech Act Project (ATTAIN) developed an assistive technology assessment process that has been recommended for statewide use. As a result, young children will receive assistive technology evaluations. The West Virginia Tech Act Project (WVATS) forged an interagency partnership with several early intervention programs to increase access by young children to assistive technology services. The project hosted a summer camp for professionals, and for parents and their young children with disabilities. The camp provided participants with information, training, and the opportunity to thoroughly test and evaluate devices. |
For more information, contact Carol Cohen at (202) 205?5666, or visit the Web site http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSERS/NIDRR/
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