Disabilities Rights Center
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Assistive Technology
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Assistive Technology Devices are "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." (P.L.
105-394). Assistive Technology can be useful for 
people
with either physical or cognitive impairments.
Some examples of assistive technology devices are:
- voice activated computers
- tools to use to reach or pick up things
- speaker phones
- devices that help pull zippers, light switches, turn on/off buttons, etc
- wheelchairs
- braces, hand splints
- beeping or vibrating prompts and alerts
- walkers
- personal computers
- augmentative communication devices
- adjustable workstations
- hearing aid, TTY
The Disabilities Rights Center helps individuals with AT related problems such as:
- A child needs AT in order to receive a free, appropriate public education, and the school district fails to provide the needed device or services;
- A person needs AT in order to become employable, and Vocational Rehabilitation will not provide it as part of the person's rehabilitation plan;
- A client of an area agency needs AT and is not receiving it, or has the equipment and it is not being used.
last updated: 5/2/08
The Law:
Assistive Technology Act of 1998
Assistive
Technology Act of 2004
Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996
Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act
DRC Cases:
DRC Offers Training: Your Rights to Assistive Technology
Resources
- AT in New Hampshire, from the NH Assistive Technology Partnership
- AbleData, Source for Information on Assistive Technology
- Adaptive Environments
- The Alliance for Technology Access
- Assistive Technology as a workplace support, from Worksupport.com
- Assistivetech.net, a national AT exploration center
- For the Military: the Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP), a source of assistive technology for service members and veterans
- ATECH Services, an Alliance for Assistive Technology, Education, and Community Health (New Hampshire)
- Axistive, "The world's leading news portal for assistive technology"
- CAST, The Center for Applied Special Technology
- Center for Implementing Technology in Education
- Closing the Gap: Computer Technology in Special Education and Rehabilitation
- Computer/Electronics Accommodations Program
- DRC brochure: Special Education and Assistive Technology PDF Version Text Version
- Family Center on Technology and Disability
- Funding of Assistive Technology to Make Work A Reality, by James Sheldon, Esq. and Ronald Hager, Esq., Neighborhood Legal Services, Sept 2004
- National Assistive Technology Research Institute
- National Center on Accessible Information Technology in Education
- New England ADA and Accessible IT Center
- The Public School's Special Education System as an Assistive Technology Funding Source: The Cutting Edge, by Ronald Hager, Esq. Neighborhood Legal Services
- Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of America
- Smart Assistive Technologies, a provider of assistive technology consulting and training services in New Hampshire.
- Techlink New Hampshire, serving the Lakes Region and North Country
- Telecommunications for the Deaf, Inc.
