> **Assistive Technology Act of 1998**
>
> Title I: State Grant Program
>
> Annual Report to Congress:
>
> Fiscal Years 2001, 2002, and 2003

**Assistive Technology\
Act of 1998**

Title I: State Grant Program

Annual Report to Congress:\
Fiscal Years 2001, 2002, and 2003

February 2005

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services\
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research

This combined 3-year annual report has been produced by staff of the
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR).

U.S. Department of Education\
Margaret Spellings\
Secretary

Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services\
John H. Hager\
Assistant Secretary

National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research\
Steven James Tingus, M.S., C. Phil.\
Director

February 2005

This report is in the public domain. Authorization to reproduce it in
whole or in part is granted. While permission to reprint this
publication is not necessary, the citation should be: U.S. Department of
Education, Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services,
National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, *Assistive
Technology Act of 1998, Title I: State Grant Program, Annual Report to
Congress: Fiscal Years 2001, 2002, and 2003*, Washington, D.C., 2005.

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Contents

Section Page

[Acknowledgements vii](#acknowledgements)

[Executive Summary ix](#executive-summary)

[Interagency Coordination ix](#interagency-coordination)

[Demonstration Activities x](#demonstration-activities)

[Education and Training x](#education-and-training)

[Research xi](#research)

[Outreach Activities to Rural and Inner-City Areas Targeted to Reach
Underrepresented Populations and Rural Populations
xi](#outreach-activities-to-rural-and-inner-city-areas-targeted-to-reach-underrepresented-populations-and-rural-populations)

[Consumer Involvement Activities Carried Out Through The Funded
Activities
xii](#consumer-involvement-activities-carried-out-through-the-funded-activities)

[Introduction xiii](#introduction)

[Data Sources xiv](#data-sources)

[Overview of Data Quality and Limitations
xv](#overview-of-data-quality-and-limitations)

[Data Quality xv](#data-quality)

[Limitations xv](#limitations)

[Findings 1](#findings)

[Demonstrated Successes of the Funded Activities in Improving
Interagency Coordination Relating to Assistive Technology, Streamlining
Access to Funding for Assistive Technology, and Producing Beneficial
Outcomes for Users of Assistive Technology
1](#__RefHeading___Toc92700166)

[Demonstration Activities Carried Out Through the Funded Activities to
---
5](#demonstration-activities-carried-out-through-the-funded-activities-to)

[(A) Promote Access to Such Funding in Public Programs That Were in
Existence on the Date of the Initiation of the Demonstration Activities;
and
5](#a-promote-access-to-such-funding-in-public-programs-that-were-in-existence-on-the-date-of-the-initiation-of-the-demonstration-activities-and)

[(B) Establish Additional Options for Obtaining Such Funding
5](#b-establish-additional-options-for-obtaining-such-funding)

[Education and Training Activities Carried Out Through the Funded
Activities to Educate And Train Targeted Individuals About Assistive
Technology, Including Increasing Awareness of Funding Through Public
Programs for Assistive Technology 8](#__RefHeading___Toc92700170)

[The Research Activities Carried Out Through the Funded Activities to
Improve Understanding of the Costs and Benefits of Access to Assistive
Technology for Individuals With Disabilities who Represent a Variety of
Ages and Types of Disabilities 15](#__RefHeading___Toc92700171)

[The Program Outreach Activities to Rural and Inner-City Areas That Are
Carried Out Through the Funded Activities and Funded Activities Targeted
to Reach Underrepresented Populations and Rural Populations
16](#__RefHeading___Toc92700172)

[Consumer Involvement Activities Carried Out Through The Funded
Activities
18](#consumer-involvement-activities-carried-out-through-the-funded-activities-1)

[Summary 21](#summary)

Exhibits

Number Page

Exhibit 1. Organizations Most Frequently Involved in Interagency
Activities^a^ [2](#__RefHeading___Toc92516091)

Exhibit 2. Focus of Interagency Activities^a^
[3](#__RefHeading___Toc92516092)

Exhibit 3. Capacity Building/Systems Change Activities Resulting From
Legislative and Policy Changes ^a,\ b^ [4](#__RefHeading___Toc92516093)

Exhibit 4. Individuals Served at Demonstration Sites^a^
[5](#__RefHeading___Toc92516094)

Exhibit 5. Numbers of Consumers and Family Members Receiving Information
From Selected Sources ^a,\ b^ [6](#__RefHeading___Toc92516095)

Exhibit 6. Number of Demonstration Sites Offering Various Services^a^
[7](#__RefHeading___Toc92516096)

Exhibit 7. Grantees Conducting Demonstrations by Location^a^
[8](#__RefHeading___Toc92516097)

Exhibit 8. Technical Assistance/Training Participants, by Selected
Category^a,\ b^ [10](#__RefHeading___Toc92516098)

Exhibit 9. Topics Addressed by Technical Assistance/Training Sessions^a^
[11](#__RefHeading___Toc92516099)

Exhibit 10. Methods Frequently Used to Increase Public Awareness and
Disseminate Information^a^ [12](#__RefHeading___Toc92516100)

Exhibit 11. Web Site Characteristics^a^
[13](#__RefHeading___Toc92516101)

Exhibit 12. Number of Individuals Receiving Information From Selected
Sources^a^ [14](#__RefHeading___Toc92516102)

Exhibit 13. Underrepresented Groups Targeted by Any Outreach
Activity^a,\ b^ [17](#__RefHeading___Toc92516103)

# Acknowledgements

The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)
wishes to acknowledge the Research Triangle Institute's (RTI)
contribution to this report. The data provided to NIDRR for this report
was collected by RTI, under grant number H224B03001. The RTI-developed
Web-based data collection instrument was used to secure information
summarized by RTI and submitted to NIDRR for further analysis and
reporting.

# Executive Summary

This report constitutes a combined 3-year annual report for the
Assistive Technology (AT) State Grant Program, authorized under Title I
of the AT Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-394). The AT Act requires that an
annual report containing the following information on the AT State Grant
program be submitted by the Department of Education to the President and
to Congress:

-   the demonstrated successes of the funded activities in improving
    interagency coordination relating to assistive technology,
    streamlining access to funding for assistive technology, and
    producing beneficial outcomes for users of assistive technology;

-   the demonstration activities carried out through the funded
    activities to --- (a) promote access to such funding in public
    programs that were in existence on the date of the initiation of the
    demonstration activities; and (b) establish additional options for
    obtaining such funding;

-   the education and training activities carried out through the funded
    activities to educate and train targeted individuals about assistive
    technology, including increasing awareness of funding through public
    programs for assistive technology;

-   the research activities carried out through the funded activities to
    improve understanding of the costs and benefits of access to
    assistive technology for individuals with disabilities who represent
    a variety of ages and types of disabilities;

-   the program outreach activities to rural and inner-city areas that
    are carried out through the funded activities;

-   the activities carried out through the funded activities that are
    targeted to reach underrepresented populations and rural
    populations; and

-   the consumer involvement activities carried out through the funded
    activities.

## Interagency Coordination

In Fiscal Year 2003, 55 of 56 (98 percent) grantees conducted
interagency coordination activities. Forty-nine of 51 (96 percent)
grantees conducted interagency coordination activities in FY 2001,
and 55 of 56 (98 percent) grantees conducted such activities in FY 2002.
Nearly all grantees (96 percent or more) have reported conducting
interagency coordination in at least one of the past 3 years. The number
of agencies with which the AT grantees coordinated activities increased
over these fiscal years, from 1,003 agencies in FY 2001, to 1,377
agencies in FY 2002, and 1,412 agencies in FY 2003. In FY 2001, grantees
most frequently coordinated with Centers for Independent Living. In FYs
2002 and 2003, they most frequently coordinated with the state
vocational rehabilitation (VR) agency. AT grantees coordinated with
agencies serving people with disabilities of all ages. Annually, a
minimum of 43 grantees cited coordination with their states' K--12
school system. Over the 3-year period, interagency activities most
commonly focused on training personnel to assist individuals with
disabilities to use AT and activities aimed at increasing program
capacities. Grantees conducted activities that led to improved consumer
access to assistive technology funding. In FY 2003 forty-eight grantees
concentrated their interagency activities on efforts to acquire
financing for AT devices and services. During the same FY grantees
reported improvements in AT financing resulting from 42 legislative and
policy changes.

## Demonstration Activities

In FY 2003, 50 of 56 (89 percent) grantees reported AT demonstration
activities. Forty-seven of 51 (92 percent) grantees reported
demonstration activities in FY 2001 and 52 of 56 (93 percent) reported
demonstration activities in FY 2002. Across the 3-year period, a
majority of grantees (at least 89 percent) have conducted demonstrations
of AT. In two out of the 3 years, AT demonstration sites served between
104,000 to 105,000 persons, of whom 48,000 to 50,000 were persons with
disabilities. Other than newsletters, AT demonstrations were the second
largest means that grantees used to provide information to all
individuals and to individuals with disabilities across the 3-year
period. In FY 2003, grantees served 104,891 individuals at demonstration
sites; of these, 50,473 were individuals with disabilities. Between FYs
2001--2003, grantees served a total of 639,270 individuals at
demonstration sites; of these, 146,841 (23 percent) were individuals
with disabilities. Conferences, expos and fairs have consistently been
the most common venues for AT demonstrations. The most frequent service
offered at demonstration sites was AT equipment lending.

## Education and Training 

In FY 2003, 54 of 56 (96 percent) grantees conducted technical
assistance and training activities. Forty-nine of 51 (96 percent)
grantees reported conducting such activities in FY 2001 and 55 of 56 (98
percent) grantees conducted such activities in FY 2002. Most grantees
(at least 96 percent) have cited conduct of technical assistance and
training activities in FYs 2001, 2002, and 2003. Over these 3 years,
grantees conducted more than 43,000 technical assistance and training
activities, with approximately 360,000 participants. More than
two-thirds of grantees provided detailed information on the individuals
they served through these activities. Professionals consistently made up
at least 40 percent of all participants in AT grantees' training
activities. Individuals with disabilities, together with their families,
accounted for 34 to 40 percent of participants. The most frequent topics
of grantee training sessions were device-specific training, AT
evaluation and assessment, and obtaining funding for AT.

## Research 

Although the AT grantees have not had any significant role in research
on the availability of assistive technology devices and assistive
technology services, the National Institute on Disability and
Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) has elected to fund additional studies
under Title II of the Rehabilitation Act to collect this information.
For example, the California Foundation for Independent Living Centers
was awarded a grant to collect research on access to and use of
assistive technology. Duke University received funding to examine issues
within the field of AT outcomes measurement. In addition, the University
of Wisconsin at Milwaukee is conducting grant activities that will
ultimately lead to enhanced understanding about the relationships of AT
outcomes factors that produce a better understanding of AT use and
abandonment. A full description of these and other assistive technology
research grants can be found at
[http://www.ncddr.org](http://www.ncddr.org/). The results of these and
other research grants and related grantee publications are available
from at <http://naricdev.heitechservices.com/>.

## Outreach Activities to Rural and Inner-City Areas Targeted to Reach Underrepresented Populations and Rural Populations

AT grantees support statewide and community-based organizations that
provide AT devices and services or that assist persons with disabilities
in using AT devices and services, "including a focus on organizations
assisting individuals from underrepresented and rural populations." In
FY 2003, 44 of 56 (79 percent) of grantees conducted outreach
activities. This percentage represents a decrease in outreach
activities. Of all the required activities, outreach efforts fluctuated
the most from FY 2001 to 2003, with 90 percent of grantees (46 of 51)
conducting these activities in FY 2001, rising to 100 percent (56
grantees) in FY 2002, and dropping to 79 percent (44 of 56 grantees) in
FY 2003. The decline in outreach activities in FY 2003 cuts across all
underrepresented populations.

The largest relative decrease in outreach emphasis over the 3-year
period has been outreach to minorities. In FY 2001, forty-one of 51 (80
percent) conducted outreach to minorities. Outreach activities to
minorities decreased to 41 of 56 (73 percent) in FY 2002 and to 32 of 56
(57 percent) in FY 2003. Additionally, individuals with low-incidence
disabilities were not a common target of outreach efforts in FY 2001. By
FY 2003, however, they were the group most likely to be targeted for
outreach. Each year, persons from rural areas were among the two groups
most likely to be targeted by grantee outreach efforts. Persons with
limited English proficiency were least likely to be the focus of grantee
outreach efforts throughout the 3-year period (FYs 2001--2003).

In FY 2003, a total of 854,179 individuals received information on
assistive technology from the AT State grantees from activities in
public awareness, demonstrations and TA/training. Over the last three
years, a total of 2.6 million individuals received AT information from
the AT State grantees.

## Consumer Involvement Activities Carried Out Through The Funded Activities

Over the past three years the number of individuals with disabilities
who participated in sponsored technical assistance and training events
has continued to increase, while the number of family members
participating in such events has decreased. In FY 2003 participation
counts reached 27,365 individuals with disabilities, while the number of
family members for FY 2003 was 10,798.

In FY 2003, 289,737 consumers and family members received information
from the selected sources, including newsletters, demonstrations,
technical assistance/training activities, presentations, and public
forums. Overall, newsletters reached the largest number of consumers and
family members, accounting for almost half of the over 700,000 consumer
and family member recipients during the 3-year period.

# Introduction

The purpose of this report is to comply with the legislative mandate of
the Assistive Technology (AT) Act of 1998 (Public Law 105-394) requiring
the Secretary of Education to report annually on the activities funded
under this Act (Section 103(c)).

Section 103(c) of the AT Act of 1998 requires the following information
on the AT State Grant program be submitted to the president and to
Congress:

-   the demonstrated successes of the funded activities in improving
    interagency coordination relating to assistive technology,
    streamlining access to funding for assistive technology, and
    producing beneficial outcomes for users of assistive technology;

-   the demonstration activities carried out through the funded
    activities to --- (a) promote access to such funding in public
    programs that were in existence on the date of the initiation of the
    demonstration activities; and (b) establish additional options for
    obtaining such funding;

-   the education and training activities carried out through the funded
    activities to educate and train targeted individuals about assistive
    technology, including increasing awareness of funding through public
    programs for assistive technology;

-   the research activities carried out through the funded activities to
    improve understanding of the costs and benefits of access to
    assistive technology for individuals with disabilities who represent
    a variety of ages and types of disabilities;

-   the program outreach activities to rural and inner-city areas that
    are carried out through the funded activities;

-   the activities carried out through the funded activities that are
    targeted to reach underrepresented populations and rural
    populations; and

-   the consumer involvement activities carried out through the funded
    activities.

In addition, the law requires the Department of Education to report on
the availability of assistive technology devices and assistive
technology services, as soon as practicable. While the AT grantees have
not had any significant role in research addressing the availability of
assistive technology devices and services, NIDRR has funded other grant
projects focusing on AT research. As a result, the ongoing work of these
AT research grants, as well as publications and reports resulting from
their activities, are available at
<http://naricdev.heitechservices.com/>. A more detailed discussion of
some of the research activities of these projects will be provided in
this report.

## Data Sources

All data reported in this report are from individual state AT grantee
annual progress reports covering activities in fiscal years (FYs)
2001--2003. Use of the Web-based reporting system was not mandatory
during the first year of its availability; hence, only 51 grantees
provided reports on FY 2001 activities through that system.[^1] In FYs
2002 and 2003, all 56 grantees completed their annual reports via the
Internet. This report presents data from FYs 2001--2003 and includes a
limited comparative analysis for data reported for all three years.

# Overview of Data Quality and Limitations

## Data Quality

Several mechanisms are in place to improve the consistency and quality
of the data reported by grantees. Grantees use a uniform reporting
instrument, consisting primarily of closed-ended questions, to document
their activities. The Web-based system has internal checks to catch some
of the mathematical miscalculations. An online instruction manual for
grantee use presents numerous examples of the types of information that
should be included in narrative responses. Each section of the reporting
form also contains links to important definitions and instructions so
that grantees can quickly obtain pertinent information without having to
look through the entire instruction manual. Research Triangle Institute
(RTI) staff made presentations on data collection and reporting at the
annual state AT directors' conference sponsored by the Rehabilitation
Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA)
Technical Assistance (TA) Project. For example, during a presentation at
the Summer 2001 conference, grantees received a copy of the reporting
form and training on each item on the form. In addition to the online
instruction manual, RTI staff provides ongoing technical assistance to
grantees via e-mail or telephone.

NIDRR and RTI developed data cleaning procedures for the analysis of the
state AT grantee data. The data cleaning procedures were designed to
improve the quality of data. RTI reviews each state report and compiles
a report for NIDRR addressing data inconsistencies and miscalculations.
Grantees are asked to clarify information or address inconsistencies,
miscalculations or other problems with the data, as appropriate. These
issues are corrected prior to submitting data to NIDRR.

## Limitations

Since the initial development of the reporting form in FY 2000, the
focus of program performance and evaluation has changed to emphasize
outcomes versus outputs. Hence, the current reporting form provides few
opportunities for grantees to report outcomes. The data collection
instrument contains six items requiring narrative responses that include
some outcome data.

All grantees did not submit data on their program activities conducted
in FY 2001 in the Web-based data collection system. Fifty-one of the 56
(91 percent) grantees submitted data on their project activities
conducted in FY 2001 using the Web-based data collection system while
five grantees chose to report on paper. All grantees submitted data in
the Web-based data collection system in FYs 2002 and 2003. This report
only includes data reported in the Web-based data collection system.
Therefore, in general, the percentages of grantees instead of the number
of grantees conducting activities and reporting outcomes are used to
compare data across years.

# Findings

This report focuses on demonstrated program outcomes for required
reporting activities. The AT Act of 1998 requires that an annual report
containing the following information on the AT State Grant program be
submitted to the president and to Congress:

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc92700166 .anchor}Demonstrated Successes of the
Funded Activities in Improving Interagency Coordination Relating to
Assistive Technology, Streamlining Access to Funding for Assistive
Technology, and Producing Beneficial Outcomes for Users of Assistive
Technology

Fifty-five of 56 (98 percent) grantees conducted interagency
coordination activities in FY 2003. Forty-nine of 51 (96 percent)
grantees conducted this activity in FY 2001 and 55 of 56 (98 percent)
grantees conducted interagency coordination activities in FY 2002.
Therefore, nearly all grantees conducted interagency coordination
activities during the last 3 years. The total number of agencies with
which the AT grantees coordinated activities increased over the 3 fiscal
years, from 1,003 agencies in FY 2001 to 1,377 agencies in FY 2002, and
1,412 agencies in FY 2003.

In FYs 2001--2003, the six types of organizations with which AT grantees
most commonly coordinated their activities are shown in Exhibit 1. In FY
2001, grantees most frequently coordinated with independent living
centers, followed closely by postsecondary institutions, VR agencies,
and disability-related nonprofits. In FYs 2002 and 2003, VR agencies led
the way, followed by coordination efforts with independent living
centers and postsecondary institutions. Grantees also coordinated with a
wide variety of disability-related nonprofit organizations. For example,
grantees often worked with agencies such as Easter Seals to maintain AT
demonstration centers and, in some cases, equipment loan closets.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc92516091 .anchor}Exhibit 1. Organizations Most
Frequently Involved in Interagency Activities^a^

+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+
| Type of Organization                      | Number |        |        |
|                                           | of     |        |        |
|                                           | Gr     |        |        |
|                                           | antees |        |        |
+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+
|                                           | FY     | FY     | FY     |
|                                           | 2001\  | 2002\  | 2003\  |
|                                           | (N =   | (N =   | (N =   |
|                                           | 49)    | 55)    | 55)    |
+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+
| ###### Vocational rehabilitation          | 44     | 53     | 53     |
+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+
| Centers for Independent Living            | 46     | 50     | 50     |
+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+
| Postsecondary education (colleges,        | 45     | 50     | 51     |
| training programs)                        |        |        |        |
+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+
| Disability-related nonprofit              | 44     | 50     | 50     |
| organizations                             |        |        |        |
+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+
| Schools (K--12)                           | 43     | 51     | 47     |
+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+
| Senior services/aging                     | 42     | 48     | 50     |
+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+

^a^ Data source: AT State grant program annual progress reports for FYs
2001--2003.

AT State program grantees coordinated with agencies serving people with
disabilities of all ages. A sizable majority of AT grantees, at least 43
in each year, reported coordination with their states' K‑12 school
system. Grantees provide critical information to school districts and
individual special education teachers on AT that might be appropriate to
ensure compliance with the federal Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA) requirements. Grantees also reported coordinating
activities with their states' senior services agencies.

Over the 3-year period, interagency activities most commonly focused on
training personnel to assist individuals with disabilities to use AT and
activities aimed at increasing program capacities (Exhibit 2).
Conducting outreach to underrepresented populations and disseminating
information about AT have increased in importance to become the most
common foci of interagency activities in FY 2003, whereas in FYs 2001
and 2002 those activities were less frequently cited by grantees.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc92516092 .anchor}Exhibit 2. Focus of Interagency
Activities^a^

  ------------------------------------------- ---------- --------- ---------
  Focus                                       Number of            
                                              Grantees             

                                              FY 2001\   FY 2002\  FY 2003\
                                              (N = 49)   (N = 55)  (N = 55)

  Train personnel to assist individuals with  45         53        52
  disabilities to use AT                                           

  Increase program capacity to provide        46         52        51
  technology-related assistance                                    

  Conduct outreach to underrepresented        44         49        54
  populations and rural populations                                

  Provide/disseminate information about the   39         54        54
  availability and potential of AT                                 

  Improve coordination between state human    45         50        47
  service programs and private entities                            

  Obtain financing to pay for AT devices and  43         51        48
  services                                                         

  Change systems to ensure timely acquisition 42         50        48
  and delivery of AT devices and services                          

  Improve accessibility of computer IT for    ---        49        46
  persons with disabilities^b^                                     
  ------------------------------------------- ---------- --------- ---------

^a^ Data source: AT State grant program annual progress reports for
FY 2001--2003.

^b^ Response category was added to the reporting form in FY 2002, based
on analysis of "other specify" answers in FY 2001.

Grantees were also involved in activities that improved consumer access
to assistive technology funding. Forty-eight grantees in FY 2003 focused
their interagency activities on efforts to obtain financing for AT
devices and services (Exhibit 2). In addition, during FY 2003, grantees
reported 42 legislative and policy changes resulting in the financing of
AT devices and services, and improved access to services, devices and
information (Exhibit 3).

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc92516093 .anchor}Exhibit 3. Capacity
Building/Systems Change Activities Resulting From Legislative and Policy
Changes ^a,\ b^

  ------------------------------------------- ---------- --------- ---------
  Capacity Building/Systems Change Activities Total                
                                              Number of            
                                              Changes\             
                                              by Fiscal            
                                              Year                 

                                              FY 2001\   FY 2002\  FY 2003\
                                              (N = 174)  (N = 157) (N = 152)

  Improved coordination among state human     103        88        84
  service programs                                                 

  Increased program capacity to provide       81         74        77
  technology-related assistance                                    

  Provided/disseminated information about the 83         91        81
  availability and potential of AT                                 

  Provided outreach to underrepresented       56         47        55
  populations and rural populations                                

  Changed systems to ensure timely            75         76        73
  acquisition and delivery of AT devices and                       
  services                                                         

  Obtained financing to pay for AT devices    69         50        42
  and services                                                     

  Improved access to telecommunications and   42         44        49
  information technology                                           

  Trained personnel to assist individuals     41         52        49
  with disabilities to use AT                                      
  ------------------------------------------- ---------- --------- ---------

^a^ Data source: AT State grant program annual progress reports for FY
2001--2003.

^b^ Counts are duplicated as grantees can report more than one result
for each type of change.

Overall, interagency efforts of grantees had impact across a wide range
of areas. Grantees were asked to describe the outcomes of their
interagency coordination activities.[^2] A few examples of such outcomes
in FY 2003 include the following:

Coordinated with the state's VR agency to identify unemployed Georgians
who might avoid institutionalization and obtain employment with the help
of AT. Sixty individuals were evaluated and 30 were selected to receive
services; 15 of those who received services obtained employment.

Worked with the State Independent Living Council in a program that led
to homeownership for 25 individuals with disabilities.

Collaborated with a pharmacy association to provide medication
management devices for seniors, allowing them to remain living at home.

Worked with its state One-Stop system[^3] to ensure the accessibility of
programs at 21 locations.

### Demonstration Activities Carried Out Through the Funded Activities to --- 

### (A) Promote Access to Such Funding in Public Programs That Were in Existence on the Date of the Initiation of the Demonstration Activities; and 

### (B) Establish Additional Options for Obtaining Such Funding

In FY 2003, 50 of 56 (89 percent) grantees reported demonstration
activities. Forty-seven of 51 (92 percent) grantees reported
demonstration activities in FY 2001 and 52 of 56 (93 percent) grantees
conducted demonstrations in FY 2002. In 2 out of the 3 years,
demonstration sites served between 104,000 and 105,000 persons, of whom
48,000 to 50,000 were persons with disabilities (Exhibit 4).

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc92516094 .anchor}Exhibit 4. Individuals Served at
Demonstration Sites^a^

  ------------------------------------------- --------- ------------ ---------
  **Individuals Served at Demonstration       **FY      **FY 2002**  **FY
  Sites**                                     2001**                 2003**

  Total number of individuals served at       103,969   430,410^b^   104,891
  demonstration sites                                                

  Number of individuals with disabilities     48,855    47,513       50,473
  served at demonstration sites                                      
  ------------------------------------------- --------- ------------ ---------

^a^ Data source: AT State grant program annual progress reports for FYs
2001--2003. In FY 2001, 47 grantees reported conducting demonstrations,
in FY 2002, 52 grantees, and in FY 2003, 50 grantees.

^b^ Arizona accounted for 349,092 of this total.

In FY 2002, 430,410 individuals visited demonstration sites, with
Arizona accounting for 81 percent of all individuals served.
For FYs 2001--2003, a total of 639,270 individuals attended
demonstrations of AT, with 55 percent of the total persons from Arizona.
Other than newsletters, demonstrations were the second largest means
grantees used to provide information to all individuals and to
individuals with disabilities across the 3-year period (Exhibits 4 and
5).

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc92516095
.anchor}^Exhibit\ 5.\ Numbers\ of\ Consumers\ and\ Family\ Members\ Receiving\ Information\ From\ Selected\ Sources^
a, b

+---------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
| Method^c^     | Number of  |            |            |            |
|               | Consumers  |            |            |            |
|               | and Family |            |            |            |
|               | Members    |            |            |            |
+---------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
|               | FY 2001    | FY 2002    | FY 2003    | Total      |
+---------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
| ######        | 90,555     | 97,916     | 161,265    | 349,736    |
| # Newsletters |            |            |            |            |
+---------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
| D             | 48,855     | 47,513     | 50,473     | 146,841    |
| emonstrations |            |            |            |            |
+---------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
| TA/training   | 31,895     | 30,694     | 37,965     | 100,554    |
| activities    |            |            |            |            |
+---------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
| Presentations | 29,318     | 30,270     | 38,052     | 97,640     |
+---------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
| Public forums | 6,357      | 7,587      | 1,982      | 15,926     |
+---------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+
| Total         | 206,980    | 213,980    | 289,737    | 710,697    |
+---------------+------------+------------+------------+------------+

^a^ Data source: AT State grant program annual progress reports for FYs
2001--2003.

^b^ Counts may be duplicated.

^c^ Some grantees using particular methods to provide information were
not able to report the total number of consumers and family members
receiving information.

In all 3 years, subcontractors administered the majority of
demonstration sites (54% of sites in FY 2001, 75% in FY 2002, and 68% in
FY 2003). Data reported by the grantees indicate that there were 238
demonstration sites in FY 2001, 334 in FY 2002 and 242 in FY 2003. Part
of the increase in FY 2002 was due to Iowa, which reported four
demonstration sites in FY 2001 and in FY 2003, but 62 in FY 2002. The
five grantees reporting in FY 2002 that had not reported using the
Web-based system in FY 2001 accounted for another 26 demonstration
sites. Twenty grantees reported a decrease between FY 2002 and FY 2003
in the number of demonstration settings in operation, 12 reported an
increase and 24 reported no change.

As Exhibit 6 indicates, the most common service offered at demonstration
sites was AT equipment lending, available at 131 sites in FY 2001, 161
sites in FY 2002 and 143 sites in FY 2003. The number of grantees
reporting equipment loan programs was 41 in FYs 2001 and 2003 and 46 in
FY 2002.

The total number of demonstration sites with recycling programs rose
from 61 in FY 2001 to 78 in FY 2003 (despite the fact that the number of
grantees with recycling programs fell slightly from 28 in FYs 2001 and
2002 to 25 in FY 2003).

The number of demonstration sites with equipment exchange programs rose
from 51 in FY 2001 to 65 in FY 2002, and then declined to 61 in FY 2003.
The number of grantees reporting exchange programs was 21 in FY 2001, 23
in FY 2002, and 15 in FY 2003.

Grantees conducted demonstrations at a wide variety of locations, the
most frequent of which are shown in Exhibit 7. Conferences, expos and
fairs have consistently been the most common venues for AT
demonstrations. Other demonstration sites regularly used by grantees and
their subcontractors included AT regional centers and university and
college campuses. Locations grantees used less frequently to conduct
demonstrations include: churches/synagogues, community-based employer
organizations, community centers, federal agencies, lending centers,
libraries, rehabilitation centers, Web-based demonstrations and
workforce development resource centers.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc92516096 .anchor}Exhibit 6. Number of
Demonstration Sites Offering Various Services^a^

![](media/image1.wmf)^a^ Data source: AT State grant program annual
progress reports for FYs 2001--2003. In FY 2001, 47 grantees conducted
demonstrations, 52 in FY 2002 and 50 in FY 2003.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc92516097 .anchor}Exhibit 7. Grantees Conducting
Demonstrations by Location^a^

+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+
| Location                                  | Number |        |        |
|                                           | of     |        |        |
|                                           | Gr     |        |        |
|                                           | antees |        |        |
+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+
|                                           | FY     | FY     | FY     |
|                                           | 2001\  | 2002\  | 2003\  |
|                                           | (N =   | (N =   | (N =   |
|                                           | 47)    | 52)    | 50)    |
+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+
| ####### Conferences/expos/fairs/exhibits  | 44     | 45     | 43     |
+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+
| AT regional centers                       | 40     | 45     | 38     |
+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+
| Nonprofit organizations                   | 37     | 34     | 36     |
+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+
| Schools                                   | 37     | 40     | 35     |
+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+
| State agencies                            | 37     | 31     | 31     |
+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+
| Senior citizen centers                    | 32     | 37     | 34     |
+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+
| Health clinics/hospitals                  | 31     | 30     | 32     |
+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+
| University/college/community college      | ---    | 36     | 39     |
| campuses^b^                               |        |        |        |
+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+

^a^ Data source: AT State grant program annual progress reports for FYs
2001--2003.

^b^ Response category was added to the reporting form in FY 2002 based
on analysis of "other ― specify" responses in FY 2001.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc92700170 .anchor}***Education and Training
Activities Carried Out Through the Funded Activities to Educate And
Train Targeted Individuals About Assistive Technology, Including
Increasing Awareness of Funding Through Public Programs for Assistive
Technology***

The AT Act of 1998 specifies that the Department of Education's annual
report on the AT grantee program shall contain information on activities
carried out "to educate and train targeted individuals about assistive
technology, including increasing awareness of funding through public
programs for assistive technology." As shown in the following text and
exhibits, AT grantees provided training on AT to 361,574 individuals
over the 3-year period (Exhibit 8). In each year, the majority of
grantees provided training specifically related to funding sources and
the acquisition of AT (Exhibit 9). In FY 2003, 48 of 56 (86 percent)
grantees provided training specifically related to funding sources and
the acquisition of AT. Forty-four of 51 (89 percent) grantees provided
such training in FY 2001 and 51 of 56 (93 percent) grantees provided
such training in FY 2002.

In FY 2003, 54 of 56 (96 percent) grantees conducted technical
assistance and training activities. Fifty-four of 56 (96 percent)
grantees conducted TA and training activities in FY 2001. In FY 2001, 49
of 51 (96 percent) grantees conducted TA and training activities and 55
of 56 (98 percent) grantees carried out these activities in FY 2002.
Therefore, most grantees have conducted technical assistance (TA) and
training activities during the 3 years NIDRR has used a Web-based
reporting form. Over the 3-year period, grantees conducted more than
43,000 TA and training activities, involving approximately 360,000
participants.

In each of the 3 years, more than two-thirds of grantees provided
detailed information on individuals served through TA and training
activities.[^4] This data provides the basis for Exhibit 8.
Professionals (including educators, counselors, case managers, health
professionals and technology experts) consistently made up at least 40
percent of all participants in TA and training activities. Individuals
with disabilities, together with their family members, accounted for 34
to 40 percent of participants. The large increase in "general public"
training participants in FY 2003 is attributable to one grantee, which
reported 7,430 general public training participants.

The most frequent topics of AT grantee training sessions included
device-specific training, AT evaluation and assessment, and obtaining
funding for AT (see Exhibit 9). In the two most recent reporting
periods, all reporting grantees cited training sessions focused on
specific AT devices or services. Device-specific training sessions most
often addressed include:

Aids for daily living.

Computers and computer adaptations.

Environmental modifications.

Recreational devices.

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices.

In FY 2003, 53 of 56 (95 percent) grantees reported conducting some form
of follow-up with attendees of the training activities:

Thirty-seven grantees collected consumer satisfaction data on their
training activities.

Thirty-five grantees followed up with a telephone call, e-mail or other
personal contact with participants.

Thirty-four grantees provided additional technical assistance.

Thirty-four grantees sent additional printed materials to training
participants.

Twenty-eight grantees provided additional direct training.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc92516098 .anchor}Exhibit 8. Technical
Assistance/Training Participants, by Selected Category^a,\ b^

+-----------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| Selected Types\       | TA/  |      |      |      |      |      |
| of Participants       | Trai |      |      |      |      |      |
|                       | ning |      |      |      |      |      |
|                       | Part |      |      |      |      |      |
|                       | icip |      |      |      |      |      |
|                       | ants |      |      |      |      |      |
+-----------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|                       | FY   |      | FY   |      | FY   |      |
|                       | 2001 |      | 2002 |      | 2003 |      |
+-----------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
|                       | Nu   | Pe   | Nu   | Pe   | Nu   | Pe   |
|                       | mber | rcen | mber | rcen | mber | rcen |
|                       |      | t^c^ |      | t^c^ |      | t^c^ |
+-----------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| **Uncategorized       | **   | ---  | **   | ---  | **   | ---  |
| participants**        | 24,3 |      | 42,2 |      | 23,8 |      |
|                       | 74** |      | 58** |      | 20** |      |
+-----------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| **Categorized         | **   | ---  | **   | ---  | **1  | ---  |
| participants**        | 80,1 |      | 87,0 |      | 03,9 |      |
|                       | 66** |      | 40** |      | 16** |      |
+-----------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| > Professionals       | 34   | 43   | 38   | 44   | 41   | 40   |
|                       | ,446 |      | ,376 |      | ,350 |      |
+-----------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| > Individuals with    | 20   | 26   | 16   | 21   | 27   | 26   |
| > disabilities        | ,834 |      | ,150 |      | ,365 |      |
+-----------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| > Family members      | 11   | 14   | 11   | 13   | 10   | 10   |
|                       | ,061 |      | ,011 |      | ,798 |      |
+-----------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| > Students (all       | ---  | ---  | 4    | 5    | 5    | 5    |
| > levels)^d^          |      |      | ,308 |      | ,330 |      |
+-----------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| > General public^d^   | ---  | ---  | 2    | 2    | 10   | 10   |
|                       |      |      | ,102 |      | ,161 |      |
+-----------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| > Policymakers/state  | 1    | 2    | 1    | 2    | 2    | 2    |
| > agency personnel    | ,790 |      | ,680 |      | ,467 |      |
+-----------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| > Employers           | 1    | 2    | 1    | 2    | 713  | 1    |
|                       | ,556 |      | ,497 |      |      |      |
+-----------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| > Other               | 10   | 13   | 8    | 10   | 4    | 4    |
|                       | ,479 |      | ,284 |      | ,155 |      |
+-----------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| **Total^e^**          | **1  | **1  | **1  | **1  | **1  | **1  |
|                       | 04,5 | 00** | 29,2 | 00** | 27,7 | 00** |
|                       | 40** |      | 98** |      | 36** |      |
+-----------------------+------+------+------+------+------+------+

^a^ Data source: AT State grant program annual progress reports for FYs
2001--2003.

^b^ Forty-nine grantees reported on technical assistance and training in
FY 2001, 55 in FY 2002 and 54 in FY 2003.

^c^ The percentages of grantees in each category are based on the data
reported by grantees able to provide detailed breakdowns of participant
types.

^d^ Response categories were added to the reporting form in FY 2002.

^e^ Totals represent all persons receiving technical
assistance/training, including grantees unable to provide details of
training participant types. Percentages may not add up to 100% due to
rounding.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc92516099 .anchor}Exhibit 9. Topics Addressed by
Technical Assistance/Training Sessions^a^

+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+
| Topic                                     | Number |        |        |
|                                           | of     |        |        |
|                                           | Gr     |        |        |
|                                           | antees |        |        |
+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+
|                                           | FY     | FY     | FY     |
|                                           | 2001\  | 2002\  | 2003\  |
|                                           | (N =   | (N =   | (N =   |
|                                           | 49)    | 55)    | 54)    |
+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+
| ######                                    | 47     | 55     | 54     |
| ## Modifications/device-specific training |        |        |        |
+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+
| AT evaluation/assessment/practice/AT      | 47     | 51     | 51     |
| devices                                   |        |        |        |
+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+
| Funding/acquisition of AT devices or      | 44     | 51     | 48     |
| services                                  |        |        |        |
+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+
| Advocacy/consumer rights                  | 44     | 49     | 47     |
| issues/laws/informed consumer choice      |        |        |        |
+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+
| Development and implementation of laws,   | 39     | 41     | 42     |
| regulations, policies, practices,         |        |        |        |
| procedures or organizational structures   |        |        |        |
| that promote access to AT devices and     |        |        |        |
| services                                  |        |        |        |
+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+
| Web accessibility/IT^b^                   | ---    | 45     | 41     |
+-------------------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+

^a^ Data source: AT State grant program annual progress reports for FYs
2001--2003.

^b^ Response category was added to the reporting form in FY 2002.

Public awareness activities focus on developing and disseminating
information on AT devices and services, and facilitating communication
between AT providers and targeted individuals. All grantees conducted
public awareness activities in FY 2003. All grantees also conducted
public awareness activities in FY 2001 and FY 2002. While grantees
employed an array of methods and approaches to increase public
awareness, several methods were used more extensively and consistently
than others over the 3-year period, (see Exhibit 10). Grantees most
often used information fact sheets or flyers for the public to increase
public awareness in FYs 2002 and 2003; in FY 2001, this method was one
of the second most commonly used by grantees.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc92516100 .anchor}Exhibit 10. Methods Frequently
Used to Increase Public Awareness and Disseminate Information^a^

  ------------------------------------------- ---------- --------- ---------
  Method                                      Grantees             
                                              Using                
                                              Method               

                                              FY 2001\   FY 2002\  FY 2003\
                                              (N = 51)   (N = 56)  (N = 56)

  Informational fact sheets/flyers for public 48         55        55

  Web site                                    48         54        54

  Drop-ins to office and/or demonstration     49         52        54
  center                                                           

  Exhibits/fairs in public areas              47         53        54

  Articles/notifications in other agency      47         53        53
  publications                                                     

  Telephone calls                             47         53        52

  Mailings                                    48         49        53

  Presentations                               47         50        49
  ------------------------------------------- ---------- --------- ---------

^a^ Data source: AT State grant program annual progress reports for FYs
2001--2003.

^b^ Counts are duplicated; grantees can report all methods used.

Other methods grantees use to increase awareness and disseminate
information about AT devices and related services include: Internet
discussion lists, public service announcements, establishing reference
libraries for public use, radio/TV/newspapers, maintaining a database
for the public with AT information, manuals/guides/booklets, producing
videos, sponsoring an AT conference, responding to e-mail requests and
maintaining listservs. Grantees use an array of public awareness methods
to reach multiple audiences.

NIDRR supports a National Public Internet Site authorized under section
104(c)(1) of the AT Act of 1998. In FYs 2001, 2002 and 2003, the
majority of grantees (over 90 percent) also reported having a Web site.
Most grantee Web sites were linked to the National Public Internet Site,
http://assistivetech.net. The characteristics of the grantee Web sites
have remained fairly constant for the last two reporting periods (see
Exhibit 11).[^5] Other than one Web site under construction,
all grantees reported that their Web sites were accessible to
individuals with disabilities. The majority of grantees' Web sites have
links to primary sources for information (for example, the Social
Security Ticket to Work bulletin or regional resource centers) and
downloadable products that often include grantee-produced information on
various aspects of AT (e.g., alternative financing, AT for various
populations, home modifications and Web access guidelines), searchable
databases and information in a language other than English. Over a third
of the Web sites provide an online order form for products.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc92516101 .anchor}Exhibit 11. Web Site
Characteristics^a^

+-------------------------------------------+------------+------------+
| Web Site Characteristics                  | Number of  |            |
|                                           | Grantees   |            |
+-------------------------------------------+------------+------------+
|                                           | FY 2002\   | FY 2003\   |
|                                           | (N = 54)   | (N = 54)   |
+-------------------------------------------+------------+------------+
| Web site accessible to individuals with   | 53         | 53         |
| disabilities                              |            |            |
+-------------------------------------------+------------+------------+
| Web site assists in distribution of       | 50         | 50         |
| materials                                 |            |            |
+-------------------------------------------+------------+------------+
| > Links to primary sources                | 48         | 48         |
+-------------------------------------------+------------+------------+
| > Online order form                       | 19         | 18         |
+-------------------------------------------+------------+------------+
| > Downloadable products                   | 38         | 41         |
+-------------------------------------------+------------+------------+
| Web site linked to assistivetech.net      | 43         | 47         |
+-------------------------------------------+------------+------------+

^a^ Data source: AT State grant program annual progress reports for FYs
2002--2003.

NIDRR's annual progress reporting form asks grantees to provide
information on the number of individuals (including consumers and family
members) receiving information by specific source (Exhibit 12). These
sources include selected public awareness activities, demonstrations,
and technical assistance and training. In FY 2003, a total of 854,179
individuals received information about assistive technology from
grantees through public awareness, demonstration and TA/training
activities. A total of 2.6 million individuals received information
during FYs 2001--2003 from activities in these three areas. Over 1.5
million individuals received information through public awareness
activities (61 percent), with newsletters accounting for 830,817 of all
recipients. The second most frequently used source of information was
demonstrations, which accounted for 639,270 recipients (25 percent),
followed by toll-free telephone calls (17 percent) and TA/training
activities (14 percent). Ten percent of individuals received information
through presentations and about 1 percent received information from
public forums. The number of individuals served through the most common
methods of public awareness increased across all categories from FYs
2002--2003, with the exception of public forums, which declined by
two-thirds.[^6]

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc92516102 .anchor}Exhibit 12. Number of Individuals
Receiving Information From Selected Sources^a^

+--------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| Method^b^                      | Number |        |        | Totals |
|                                | of     |        |        |        |
|                                | In     |        |        |        |
|                                | dividu |        |        |        |
|                                | als^c^ |        |        |        |
+--------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
|                                | FY     | FY     | FY     |        |
|                                | 2001   | 2002   | 2003   |        |
+--------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| **Grantees reporting public    | **(N = | (N =   | **(N = |        |
| awareness activities**         | 51)**  | 56)    | 56)**  |        |
+--------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| > Newsletters                  | 2      | 2      | 3      | 8      |
|                                | 32,581 | 40,275 | 57,961 | 30,817 |
+--------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| > Toll-free telephone calls    | 1      | 1      | 1      | 4      |
|                                | 23,260 | 50,338 | 53,853 | 27,451 |
+--------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| > Presentations                | 77,112 | 82,606 | 1      | 2      |
|                                |        |        | 04,416 | 64,134 |
+--------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| > Public forums                | 12,010 | 15,853 | 5,322  | 33,185 |
+--------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| > Subtotal                     |        |        |        | 1,5    |
|                                |        |        |        | 55,587 |
+--------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| **Grantees reporting           | **(N = | **(N = | **(N = |        |
| demonstrations**               | 47)**  | 45)**  | 50)**  |        |
+--------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| > Demonstrations               | 1      | 43     | 1      | 6      |
|                                | 03,969 | 0,410d | 04,891 | 39,270 |
+--------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| **Grantees reporting           | **(N = | **(N = | **(N = |        |
| TA/training**                  | 49)**  | 55)**  | 54)**  |        |
+--------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| > TA/training activities       | 1      | 1      | 1      | 3      |
|                                | 04,540 | 29,298 | 27,736 | 61,574 |
+--------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+--------+
| **Total**                      | 6      | 1,0    | 8      | 2,5    |
|                                | 53,472 | 48,780 | 54,179 | 56,431 |
+--------------------------------+--------+--------+--------+--------+

^a^ Data source: AT State grant program annual progress reports for FYs
2001--2003.

^b^ The data in this table are collected from different sections of the
annual report; in FY 2001 through FY 2003 all grantees using the
reporting system reported on public awareness activities, while fewer
grantees reported on TA and training. Within each type of public
awareness activity, the number of grantees that were able to provide
specific counts on the number and type of recipients by method varied by
year.

^c^ Totals include individuals with disabilities and their families.

^d^ In FY 2002, Arizona reported 349,092 participants for demonstrations
or 81 percent of the total.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc92700171 .anchor}The Research Activities Carried
Out Through the Funded Activities to Improve Understanding of the Costs
and Benefits of Access to Assistive Technology for Individuals With
Disabilities who Represent a Variety of Ages and Types of Disabilities

No research studies on the availability of assistive technology devices
and assistive technology services were conducted as part of the
activities of these grantees. However, under Title II of the
Rehabilitation Act, NIDRR has funded an array of AT research grants. A
sampling of the entire portfolio of NIDRR funded AT research projects is
highlighted in this report.

As part of the effort to collect research on access to and use of
assistive technology, NIDRR awarded funding to the California Foundation
for Independent Living Centers (CFILC). As part of their project, CFILC
is working with the independent living community to develop cumulative
research data on the use of and access to AT by people with
disabilities. As a result of their work the grantee has published a
report on its findings, reviewing the success and barriers of AT. A copy
of this report is available at
www.atnet.org/CR4AT/PositionPapers/Position_Papers.html.

Duke University was awarded a grant to fund the Consortium for Assistive
Technology Outcomes Research. The consortium is comprised of assistive
technology professionals from AT programs and organizations in the
United States and Canada. As part of their grant activities, Duke
University is focusing on improving measurement science for assistive
technology and understanding the processes for the adoption and use or
discontinuance of assistive technology. Among the research activities
associated with this project, the grantee will review existing
approaches and identify barriers to the use of assistive technology
outcomes measurement and examine factors related to assistive technology
abandonment. More information on grant activities and publications
associated with this project are available at
www.atoutcomes.com/ATOCdefault.htm.

Grant funding was also awarded to the University of Wisconsin at
Milwaukee to conduct grant activities that will also lead to enhanced
understanding of AT use and abandonment. The Assistive Technology
Outcomes Measurement System Project (ATOMS Project) endeavors to conduct
a comprehensive needs assessment, develop a prototype instrument and
hold consensus building activities in an effort to address the critical
need to identify components of a future AT outcomes measurement system.
A number of publications on assistive technology have emanated from the
ATOMS project. For a complete description of grant activities and
publications, visit <http://www.r2d2.uwm.edu/atoms/>

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc92700172 .anchor}The Program Outreach Activities
to Rural and Inner-City Areas That Are Carried Out Through the Funded
Activities and Funded Activities Targeted to Reach Underrepresented
Populations and Rural Populations

Grantees provided information on the support they extended to statewide
and community-based organizations that provide AT devices and services
or that assist persons with disabilities in using AT devices and
services, "including a focus on organizations assisting individuals from
underrepresented and rural populations" (Section 101(b)(2)(D)). This
support may include outreach to consumer organizations and other groups
to coordinate efforts to assist individuals with disabilities in
obtaining AT devices and services. Underrepresented groups to be
considered for outreach efforts are defined in the AT Act of 1998, and
include: persons from rural areas; minorities; older individuals; poor
persons; persons with low-incidence disabilities; and persons with
limited English proficiency.

As seen in Exhibit 13, 79 percent (44 of 56) of grantees reported
conducting outreach activities in FY 2003. In FY 2001, 90 percent (46 of
51) of grantees reported conducting some type of outreach that targeted
underrepresented groups.[^7] In FY 2002, there was an increase when all
56 grantees reported some form of outreach activity. The percentage of
grantees conducting outreach activities decreased to 78 in FY 2003.
The decline in outreach activities in FY 2003 cut across all
underrepresented populations.

[]{#__RefHeading___Toc92516103 .anchor}Exhibit 13. Underrepresented
Groups Targeted by Any Outreach Activity^a,\ b^

  ------------------------------------------- ---------- --------- ---------
  Population                                  Number of            
                                              Grantees             

                                              FY 2001\   FY 2002\  FY 2003\
                                              (N = 46)   (N = 56)  (N = 44)

  Persons from rural areas                    41         42        35

  Minorities                                  41         41        32

  Older individuals                           40         41        35

  Poor persons                                38         41        33

  Persons with low-incidence disabilities     34         42        38

  Persons with limited English proficiency    34         28        24
  ------------------------------------------- ---------- --------- ---------

^a^ Data source: AT State grant program annual progress reports for FYs
2001--2003.

^b^ Outreach could be coordinated TA and training, with interagency
coordination, or conducted with other activities or on its own.

In analyzing the data for outreach activities for the 3-year period, the
following observations were made:

Individuals with low-incidence disabilities were not a common target of
outreach activities in FY 2001. By FY 2003, however, they were the group
most likely to be targeted by outreach activities.

Each year, persons from rural areas were among the two groups most
likely to be targeted by outreach efforts.

The largest relative decrease in outreach emphasis has been among
minorities. Forty-one of 46 (89 percent) grantees reporting outreach
activities focused on minorities in FY 2001, decreasing to 32 of 44 (73
percent) grantees in FY 2003.

Persons with limited English proficiency were least likely to be the
focus of grantee outreach efforts throughout the 3-year period; in FY
2003, only 24 grantees reported outreach to this underrepresented group.

In their annual reports, grantees are asked to describe their primary
outreach strategy or focus. Examples of outreach activities reported by
grantees in FY 2003 include the following:

Operated mobile loan closets to conduct outreach in rural areas of the
state.

Worked with a coalition, including its Protection and Advocacy agency
and a disability-related nonprofit organization, to identify individuals
in nursing homes in need of AT.

Conducted AT awareness activities at libraries throughout the state
during Senior Citizens Month.

Produced all materials in Spanish as well as English in order to conduct
outreach in the Hispanic community.

Displayed assistive technology at minority health conferences and
AgrAbility conferences.

Delivered AT presentations on a variety of devices and daily living aids
to American Indian leadership meetings.

Trained teachers across the state to meet the needs of individuals with
low-incidence disabilities.

The AT Act of 1998 specifies that the annual report on the AT State
grant program shall contain information on outreach activities aimed at
providing information and services to underrepresented populations. As
shown in Exhibit 13, in FY 2003, 79 percent of grantees conducted
outreach aimed at providing information and services to underrepresented
populations. A sizable majority of grantees (90 percent) reported
conducting outreach in FY 2001 and all grantees conducted outreach in FY
2002. For all six underrepresented populations identified in the Act, at
least 50 percent of grantees conducted outreach to improve AT access in
all 3 years.

### Consumer Involvement Activities Carried Out Through The Funded Activities

The AT Act of 1998 states that the annual report on the AT grantee
program shall contain information on "the consumer involvement
activities carried out through funded activities" (P.L. 105-394, Title
I, Section 103(c)(2)(G)).

Exhibit 8 shows that 27,365 individuals with disabilities participated
in grantee-sponsored TA and training events in FY 2003 and over the last
3 years, 64,349 individuals with disabilities participated in
grantee-sponsored TA and training events. The number of family members
who engaged in these activities was 10,798 in FY 2003 and 32,870 over
the last 3 years.

Grantees are also asked to report the numbers of consumers and family
members who obtain information from various sources, if possible (see
Exhibit 5). In FY 2003, 289,737 consumers and family members received
information from the selected sources identified in Exhibit 5.
The number of consumer and family members who received information
increased from 206,980 in FY 2001 to 213,980 in FY 2002, and 289,737 in
FY 2003.

Overall, newsletters reached the largest number of consumers and family
members, accounting for almost half of the over 700,000 consumer and
family member recipients during the 3-year period. Consumers and family
members represented about 28 percent of all individuals who received
information from public awareness activities, demonstrations,
and TA/training (see Exhibit 7). Demonstrations were the second largest
venue for providing information to consumers and family members, in FYs
2001--2003 reaching nearly 150,000 individuals. TA/training activities
followed, providing resources to more than 100,000 individuals.

# Summary

During FY 2003, the state AT State grant program grantees reported
activities designed to increase and promote coordination among state
agencies, with such efforts among grantees increasing over the past
three fiscal years. Grantees also focused their efforts on activities
that led to an increase in the availability of funding for AT devices
and services, including initiating changes in public policy.

AT State grantees also provided education and training activities to
increase awareness and knowledge of assistive technology devices and
services. Grantees have identified consumer benefits and outcomes
resulting from grant activities, as well as those activities benefiting
individuals with disabilities from rural and inner-city areas, and
underrepresented populations. In conducting these activities and the
other activities described in this report, the AT state grantees under
Title I of the Act have implemented programs that are addressing the
assistive technology needs of individuals with disabilities in the
United States and its territories.

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[^1]: The five remaining grantees submitted paper copies of their
    reports to NIDRR. Data from these grantees (Ala., Ga., Ky., Penn.,
    and American Samoa) are not included in this report.

[^2]: The AT annual progress report contains very limited opportunities
    for grantees to report on the outcomes of their activities. For a
    detailed discussion of grantee outcomes, see Jans, 2004.

[^3]: The One-Stop system was created by the Workforce Investment Act of
    1998 (WIA) as a means to provide individuals seeking employment with
    as many employment-related services as possible at a single
    location. One-Stop locations serve a high number of individuals with
    disabilities. VR agencies and some of the AT grantees work with
    One-Stops in order to meet the needs of those individuals and ensure
    the accessibility of One-Stop locations. For example, in FY 2003, a
    total of 42 AT grantees reported some form of interagency
    coordination with One-Stop locations.

[^4]: Over all 3 years, there were 158 "Yes" responses to the question
    of whether a grantee conducted training activities. Of these, there
    were 115 instances when grantees were able to include data on the
    types of training participants.

[^5]: In FY 2002, the questions about electronic dissemination of
    information were revised slightly to be consistent with changes to
    the reporting forms for other NIDRR programs. Hence, these questions
    were not asked of grantees in FY 2001.

[^6]: Without the data from the five grantees that chose not to use the
    Web-based reporting system in FY 2001, NIDRR cannot say with
    certainty that there was an increase in the number of individuals
    served from these public awareness methods from FY 2001 to FY2002.

[^7]: On the NIDRR annual progress reporting form, grantees can cite
    outreach activities they conduct in combination with other
    activities such as, interagency coordination activities, training or
    technical assistance activities, legislative or policy changes, or
    outreach conducted as a separate activity. Exhibit 12 provides an
    unduplicated count of outreach efforts across all types of
    activities.