On October 25, 2004, without much fanfare, President George W. Bush signed the Assistive Technology Act (ATA) of 2004. The legislation sponsored by Senator Judd Gregg (R-NH), Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), extended federal programs that help individuals with disabilities access services and assistive technology (AT) devices.
In the language of the ATA, an ATA device is any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.
The sponsors had high hopes for its accomplishments. “The bill will ensure that people with disabilities and older Americans know about assistive technology and can use it on the job, in schools and in their homes and communities,” Senator Harkin said. “The legislation is an important investment in technology that has the potential to transform lives.”
Senator Gregg said, “This bill improves access to assistance by fostering publicprivate partnerships, improving access to technology and stabilizing state funding streams so devices and services are within reach of individuals with disabilities.”
The special education community had high hopes for its impact. Dr. Suzanne Martin, president of the Council for Exceptional Children, said, “The additional assistive technology funding and focus on technology that allows individuals with a wide range of capabilities to learn will do much to further the educational success of thousands of our students.”
People working in the AT field were optimistic. The Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs (ATAP), is a national, member-based organization, comprised of state AT programs, that promotes the collaboration of these programs and increases the availability and utilization of AT devices and services for all individuals with disabilities in the US.
Deborah Buck, executive director of ATAP said the association is “pleased that the AT programs operating in every state and US territory will be able to continue to be a resource for people with disabilities, educators, employers, and other service providers to find and access the assistive technology they need.”
What is the ATA intended to do? According to language in the legislation, it is intended to:
• Strengthen the existing state AT programs. • Provide each state with $410,000 maximum and $50,000 minimum for protection and advocacy services
• Ensure that technology will be available where needed-in schools, on the job and in the community.
• Require programs to provide device demonstration, equipment loan, device reutilization/recycling, and financing systems, such as low-interest loan programs.
• Focus training and technical assistance to improve service planning for individuals with disabilities and ensure that service providers have information on assistive technology.
• Require states to focus some of their training and technical assistance on two populations: students with disabilities receiving transition services and adults with disabilities maintaining or transitioning to community living.
• Authorize projects of national significance to increase public awareness and encourage research and development. • Improve technical assistance and data collection.
Of course, a legislative act is only as good as the money that pays for its execution. The ATA affords President Bush a great opportunity to put his money where his mouth is. Yet the White House’s 2006 Budget, released on February 8, 2005, eliminates funding for the ATA.
An excerpt from the U.S. Department of Education’s (DOE’s) website regarding the President’s budget and DOE administered programs states, “No funding is requested for other programs authorized under the Assistive Technology Act….While States have received more than 10 years of support for activities under [a previous federal AT program], the Department has been unable to identify and document any significant benefits.”
Deborah Buck of ATAP, however, says the DOE has documentation showing benefits from the federal program but has not released it, as it is required to do each year. A spokesperson for the DOE told me the agency is reviewing the data.
In the 2004 budget, Congress appropriated $25 million for AT programs. In 2005, that number went up to $29 million-$25 million for state AT programs and $4 million for direct loans to individuals to purchase equipment. Now the Administration is proposing to put all of its AT eggs in the New Freedom Initiative basket, making $15 million in loans available to 1,515 individuals with disabilities to purchase AT equipment.
Simple math shows that if the Administration’s plan is passed, the government would be cutting funds almost in half from the previous year-and dealing a major blow to state AT programs.
If people with disabilities had economic clout in Washington, programs impacting them would be funded. Meanwhile, if, like me, you believe ATA is a necessary program to improve the quality of life for people with disabilities, then you should let the White House and Congress know you want the ATA funded in the budget before Congress now.
John Williams has been writing about assistive technology for more than 25 years. A sample of his book Assistive Technologies: Creating a Universe of Opportunities for People with Disabilities can be seen at www.atn-ctcf.org.
