ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY: A Treasure Trove of Information on Assistive Devices
Let’s say you’ve just completed a physical or vocational rehabilitation program, and you’re ready to pound the pavement to find gainful employment. Before you begin, you may want to insure that you are connected. A place to learn about special equipment you may need is United Spinal’s assistive technology database, located at www.usatechguide.org. Once you are there, choose an equipment category like “computing,” where you will find adaptive input devices or voice-activation input/output systems. Or if you select the “communications” category, you can review plenty of information on adaptive telephones and other specialized equipment for persons with different types of disabilities, not just wheelchair users. Once employed, maintaining good health enables an individual to stay employed, and with more than 1,800 entries, United Spinal’s assistive technology database is literally a one-stop wealth of information to locate needed equipment. Whether for work or well-being, the USA TechGuide is worth a visit.
SOCIAL SERVICES: Ironing Out Wrinkles in “Ticket to Work”
United Spinal’s Social Services Program Director Jerome Kleckley recentlycompleted a four-year appointment to the Social Security Administration’s Ticket To Work and Work Incentives Advisory Panel. The “Ticket Program,” part of a 1999 federal law, is intended to give eligible Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) beneficiaries who wish to enter/return to work more choices for vocational rehabilitation. The 1999 law authorized the establishment of local employment networks for this purpose. But by the end of 2005, less than 1,400 employment networks were in operation and less than 1% of ticket holders have sought job re-training. The vast majority of this 1% have chosen traditional state government-managed vocational rehabilitation agencies over employment networks.
Near the end of 2005, Kleckley received correspondence from the current advisory panel chairperson indicating that SSA may make improvements to the Ticket Program. A proposed regulatory change would create a more realistic payment system for employment networks. The lack of gradual payments to networks is widely recognized as the primary reason that more of them have not developed. Additionally, the panel recommends that SSA conduct a nationwide marketing campaign to persons with disabilities. It is believed that most persons on the SSDI and SSI programs do not understand the Ticket Program, and further, that they are completely unaware of the work incentives applicable to both programs, which have existed for many years. Kudos to Jerome for his work on this panel, which appears to be having a positive impact.
