2023 Laws of Puerto Rico › TITLE EIGHT - Public Welfare and Charitable Institutions (§§ 1 — 1422) › Chapter 36A - Assistive Technology Program (§§ 831 — 837) › § 831 - Definitions

For the purposes of this chapter the following terms shall have the meaning expressed below:
(a) Support services.— Means those services provided to help disabled persons and their families, custodians, tutors or authorized representatives to acquire assistive technology services or equipment. Said services may consist of, but not be limited to, advising, training, or individual handling of the case of a disabled person.
(b) Assistive technology services.— Means any service that directly helps a disabled person to select, acquire or use assistive technology equipment. The term includes, but is not limited to:
(1) Evaluating the assistive technology needs of the disabled person, including a functional evaluation of the person in his or her habitual environment;
(2) purchasing, leasing, or any other means of providing for the acquisition of assistive technology equipment for disabled persons;
(3) selecting, designing, adjusting, adapting, customizing, applying, maintaining, repairing or replacing assistive technology equipment;
(4) coordinating and using other therapies, interventions or services with assistive technology equipment, such as educational and rehabilitation programs;
(5) training and providing technical assistance to disabled persons or when suitable, to their family members, custodians, tutors or authorized representatives, and
(6) training and providing technical assistance to professionals, including those persons who render educational and rehabilitation services and the employers or other persons who provide services, employ disabled persons or are considerably involved in the main facets of their lives.
(c) Consumer oriented program, activity or entity.— Means that the same:
(1) Is easily accessible and usable by disabled persons or when suitable, by the members of their families, custodians, tutors, attorneys or authorized representatives.
(2) Answers to the needs of disabled persons in a reasonable and timely manner.
(3) Allows the full and significant participation of disabled persons and the members of their families, custodians, tutors or authorized representatives in all decisions related to the availability of assistive technology equipment and services and in the planning, development, implementation and evaluation of the Puerto Rico Assistive Technology Program.
(d) Disability.— Means the condition of a person deemed as a disability for the purposes of any federal or Commonwealth legislation.
(e) Person with disabilities or disabled person.— Means a person with a physical, mental or sensorial disability (or disabilities) that substantially limits one or more of his or her life’s activities or functions, but that by means of assistive technology equipment or services may lessen the functional deterioration, maintain or increase to a higher level his or her functional capacity to engage in any of his or her life’s main activities. The term includes, but is not limited to, functions such as seeing, hearing, speaking, walking, breathing, learning and working.
(f) Changes in the system and activities that support or act in defense of persons with disabilities.— Means those efforts that are translated into legislation, regulations, policies and practices or that enable the organization of entities that foster consumer oriented programs and that allow for and increase the access to and availability of assistive technology equipment and services on a permanent basis so that disabled persons may achieve greater independence, productivity and integration into the work force and the community in which they live.
(g) Assistive technology.— Means the equipment and services related to assistive technology.
(h) Recycling.— Means the process through which still useful materials and equipment that are thrown away are used again to make or remanufacture assistive technology equipment.
(i) Reuse.— Means the process through which assistive technology equipment is provided to another disabled person after undergoing maintenance, reconditioning or reconstruction.
History —Aug. 31, 2000, No. 264, § 2.