The AT Messenger ....bringing technology to you Published by the Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative Vol. 1, Issue 2, Sep/Oct 1993 Where We've Been & Where We're Going The DATI has been operating in Delaware for just over two years. County resource centers are now in place, we've sponsored two conferences and lots of other training, and we publish this newsletter. A great deal of time and effort has been devoted to improving the access to assistive technology through the schools, Medicaid, and other avenues. The true measure of the DATI's value is its impact on YOU and others throughout Del aware. How do we learn about impact? You need to tell us! Six public forums will be held in November to get your input. We need to hear what has worked for you. We also need to hear your suggestions about what else the DATI might do to improve your understanding of—and access to—assistive technology. All of your comments and suggestions will be reviewed by the Statewide Advisory Board as it develops a work plan for the coming years. Your feedback matters, so plan to attend one of the forums and share your experiences and opinions. If you can't attend, but would like to contribute your ideas, get in touch with the Central Site office at 651-6790 (voice) or 651-6794 (TDD) and we'll send you a brief questionnaire. We hope to hear from you! Public Forums Scheduled for November In New Castle County: November 9,1993 1:30-3:00pm and 7:00-8:30 pm Alfred I. duPont Institute Lecture Hall, 3rd Floor 1600 Rockland Rd. Wilmington, DE In Kent County: November 11,1993 1:30-3:00pm and 7:00-8:30 pm Delaware Tech Terry Campus Room 120A, Science & Technology Building 1832 N. duPont Parkway Dover, DE In Sussex County: November 16,1993 1:30-3:00pm and 7:00 - 8:30 pm Delaware Tech Southern Campus Room 555C & D, Higher Education Building Route 18 Georgetown, DE Each county will have open meetings at two different times in an attempt to accommodate as many different work and transportation schedules as possible. Make plans now for attending the meeting most convenient for you! If you plan to attend and have accessibility needs, please notify the Central Site at 651 -6790 no later than November 1, 1993. Strab Wins Statewide Accessibility Award One of the highlights of the 1992 DATI Conference was a demonstration by Tom Strab of a safe, cost-effective door-opening system that he invented. Since those days of relative obscurity, Mr. Strab has hit the big time, recently receiving a statewide award from the Delaware Architectural Accessibility Board. Beth Mineo, Director of the DATI, nominated Tom for this award, citing "his commitment to reasonably-priced, safety-conscious solutions to accessibility problems." At the awards presentation ceremony on September 23 in Newark, Tom received a rousing ovation following the demonstration of his system. He is currently exploring the possibility of marketing the system in conjunction with Elwyn Inc. For more information, call Tom Strab at 239-4045 or write him at P.O. Box 77, Yorklyn, DE, 19736. Congratulations to Tom on the well-deserved recognition! FINANCING ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY AT Funding Through Social Security Work Incentives Ron Sibert, DATI Funding Specialist In our last newsletter, we discussed new ways of looking at Vocational Rehabilitation, and mentioned how it can sometimes be better for VR clients to get equipment through other programs. There are two work incentive programs available through the Social Security Administration (SSA) that provide great opportunities for people with disabilities to obtain assistive technology (AT) devices and related services. These programs do not pay for AT directly, but they are powerful tools that allow income to be set aside to purchase equipment. In some cases such purchases can even help increase income! That's right – it is possible for a person to buy equipment using one of these programs and end up with more money than s/he could without the purchase. Here's the story (with several alphabet letters thrown in for good measure). People who receive or qualify for social security benefits, i.e., Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) are eligible to use SSA's work incentive programs. The first, called the IWRE (Impairment Related Work Expense) program, can be used under both SSI and SSDI. The second program, called the PASS (Plan Achieving Self Support) is only available to SSI beneficiaries. Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI): As the name implies. SSDI is a type of insurance. Eligibility is based on disability status and inability to work. In addition, a person must have paid into the Social Security program, e.g., through payroll deductions, for about half the number of years since having reached age 21. SSDI beneficiaries receive a monthly cash allowance. Now, SSA measures a person's disability status/inability to work in terms of an income level called Substantial Gainful Activity (SGA). Earnings must be at or below the SGA level in order for the person to be eligible for SSDI benefits. The IRWE is used to purchase equipment and services in a way that reduces income below the SGA level. This allow for the purchase of equipment and services while allowing the beneficiary to retain both earned income and SSDI income. Impairment Related Work Expense (IWRE): An IWRE can include payments for any ser- vice or item a person may need in order to work. Some popular examples are: transportation (including purchase of cars/vans) medication, medical equipment, home modifications (including ramps), office/work-related machinery… the list goes on. There are three basic requirements: * Items or services must be purchased directly by the person (remember to keep all receipts). * Items/services should not be reimbursable through other funding sources such as public or private insurance. * The items/services are necessary in order for the person to work. The last requirement can include a very broad range of device and services. For instance, equipment needed to prepare for work before leaving home can be purchased through an IRWE. Transportation to and from work, and even assistance in the home after work are reasonable options. For the IRWE, the requirements under SSI and SSDI are very similar. Contact your local Social Security Administration office for more information. Supplemental Security Income (SSI) SSI is a small monthly income supplement for people of all ages with disabilities and for people who are age 65 or older. It is different from SSDI in that eligibility is not based on the employment status/history of the beneficiary (or the family's primary wage earner). It is based on the individual's income level. The person must have no income for at least one month prior to applying, and have very limited resources. Resource and income levels are calculated by complex formulas; some income is counted, and some is not – certain resources are countable, and others are not. The best approach is to contact the Social Security office for eligibility information. Plan to Achieve Self Support (PASS): The PASS is a way of setting aside money to purchase equipment or services needed to accomplish vocational goals in a way that keeps income below the cutoff for SSI eligibility. So there is no reduction of benefits. The money can then be used to finance assistive devices, education, business start-up, etc. Unlike the IRWE, the PASS must be in writing and approved by the SSA. Remember—it is only available to SSI recipients. Each PASS is reviewed periodically by the SSA to be sure that the approved plan is being followed. A separate bank account should be established for the set aside money. Contributions should be made to the account according to the schedule stated in the PASS. Finally, the plan's time-frame cannot exceed 48 months, Two notes of caution: 1) Once money has been set-aside for a PASS, spending it for something else can result in loss of SSI benefits, and 2) the PASS set-aside does not affect SGA determinations under SSDI. In that situation, PASS money is still considered SGA income and cannot be excluded to help qualify a person for SSDI benefits. For more information, call the Delaware's Social Security Administration office at 323-0304 or 1-800-772-1213 or the Delaware Department of Labor/Division of Vocational Rehabilitation at 368-6570. AT Product Spotlight: Cooper Car R.J. Cooper & Associates With this popular toy, young children with physical challenges can "drive" themselves around their environment by using a joystick or an array of switches. While the car is not as sophisticated as a powered wheelchair, it is much less expensive and may serve as an effective and fun beginning, training, or evaluation vehicle for a particular child. The car's features include variable start-up speed, optional latch/timer, remote safety switch controlled by an adult, a joystick with a variety of lengths and knobs, and single and multiple switch adaptations. The most affordable means for purchasing the car is to buy the Conversion kit from R.J. Cooper and buy the car, "The BOSS" by Hedstrom from a local toy store or Sears. This is a viable option for do-it-yourselfers who are on a budget. R.J. provides a videotape to guide you through the conversion process. In addition, some type of adapted seat will need to be purchased or built to position the child in the car. If switches are to be used, these also may be purchased separately from a variety of sources. Diane Bicknell, a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University, has developed a safe and flexible seating system for the Cooper Car which provides the needed support and stability for toddlers and pre-schoolers with poor trunk and/or head control. She and her husband customized a Rifton toddler chair to fit the Cooper Car by cutting down the legs and bolting it into the car. They also added padded seating, footrests of varying heights, a chest harness with Velcro closure, a lap seat belt, and additional padding on the roll bar to make it as safe and comfortable as possible seat for the user. Their work demonstrates the value and power of teamwork, collaboration, and creativity in creating assistive technology. They were able to develop their version of the Cooper car with funding from a grant and donations from the local Knights of Columbus. The Charles County, Maryland schools, where Diane is a physical therapist, can now take advantage of the Cooper Car to evaluate students as candidates for early powered mobility. The Cooper Car can be ordered from: R. J. Cooper & Associates 24843 Del Prade Suite 283 Dana Point, CA 92629 (714) 240-1912 Special thanks to CTE Status Report, (Volume 3, Number 3 - summer 1993) published by the Center for Technology in Education of the Maryland State Department of Education and Johns Hopkins University School of Continuing Studies for permission to reprint parts of this article. And Like a Good Neighbor… Delaware’s size and location permit easy access to several other states and their “Tech Act” projects. Besides the many opportunities offered right here, there are other information sources right next door. Here’s where you can find our neighboring AT colleagues: MD Technology Assistance Program (MD TAP) Maryland Rehabilitation Center 2301 Argonne Drive Baltimore, MD 21218 (800) TECH-TAP (832-4827) PA’s Initiative on Assistive Technology (PIAT) Institute on Disabilities/UAP Temple University Philadelphia, PA 19122 (800) 204-PIAT (204-7428) NJ Technology Assistive Resource Program Labor Building, Room 806 CN 938 Trenton, NJ 08625 (609) 292-3604 Annual Conference Wrap-Up The second annual DATI Conference "Assistive Technology: More Power to You! proved to be an exciting, informative, and challenging meeting for all that attended. Clayton Hall's Exhibit Area was abuzz with augmentative communication devices, adapted bicycles, robotic arms, accessible toys and games—even a mechanical mimicking parrot! Conference registrants took advantage of interesting sessions that focused on the use of assistive technology in leisure activities like gardening, woodworking, music, and sports. Guest presenters from the state projects in Minnesota and New York offered insight into what was happening in their respective programs. And the current hot issues of a tight economy and health care reform led to packed sessions on funding alternatives for assistive technology! The two-day conference concluded with a Consumer Advocacy Workshop in which assistive technology access issues were discussed. Participants identified five areas in which advocacy efforts should concentrate: outreach, funding, networking, training, and policy change. The group agreed that people in the community must take responsibility for spreading the word about assistive technology resources and opportunities. Attendees also recognized the value in rallying around issues like health care reform to ensure that disability issues are not overlooked. Anyone interested in getting a written summary of the meeting can do so by calling the DATI Central Site. This year's attendance boasts a 25% registration by consumers (those with disabilities and their family members) and a record number of 27 exhibitors. All materials were available in Braille, large print, and audiotape formats. Thanks to all of you who attended as registrants, exhibitors, presenters, volunteers, or caregivers! We were thrilled with the turn-out — and are looking forward to meeting and hearing from even more of you next year! So make a note now to look for the third Annual DATI Conference to be held in the fall of 1994. See you there! The AT Messenger is published bi-monthly by the Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative. Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative Applied Science & Engineering Laboratories University of Delaware/A.I. duPont Institute P.O. Box 269, 1600 Rockland Rd. Wilmington, DE 19899 Phone: (302)651-6790 TDD: (302)651-6794 FAX: (302)651-6793 Beth Mineo, Director Ron Sibert, Funding Specialist Bob Piech, Consumer Activities Coordinator Donna Bacon, Education & Training Coordinator Sonja Simowitz, Staff Assistant Gregg Stum, Research Programmer DATI is funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research of the U.S. Department of Education, Grant #H224A10005. This publication does not necessarily reflect the position or policy of NIDRR/ED, and no official endorsement of the materials should be inferred. The University of Delaware is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, age, national origin, marital status or disability in conformity with applicable laws.