DATI Receives Federal and State Endorsements

Beth Mineo, DATI Director

The past year had its share of anxious moments as we awaited the reauthorization of the Assistive Technology Act of 1998. To the relief of all, the AT Act was signed by the President last November. This new law strives to bring consistency to State AT Programs across the country by requiring all of them to offer four core services: equipment demonstration, equipment loan, alternative financing, and equipment exchange/ recycling. All programs are also required to promote public awareness, offer training and technical assistance, and collaborate with key stakeholders relative to education, employment, community living, and telecommunications. Many state programs have to significantly retool their structure and services to align with the mandates of the new law. Fortunately for Delaware, the DATI has all of the required services already in place, so we will not experience the delays and disruptions that typically accompany the launch of new activities.

The new law brought with it some new administrative requirements as well. The federal agency charged with oversight of the State AT Programs was changed from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) to the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA).

RSA manages many formula grant programs—which the State AT Program has now become—and has extended its requirement for the submission of State Plans to the State AT Programs. This meant that the DATI had to develop a three-year State Plan and submit it for federal approval prior to receiving funding. The new law was also very prescriptive about the composition of the Program’s Advisory Board, requiring slots for representatives of five state agencies as well as continuing the tradition of a consumer-majority Board.

The DATI works so closely with numerous state agencies that slots were created for eight agencies rather than the required five. Agency representatives were appointed by their respective agencies, and almost all appointees have a long history of interaction with the State AT Program. Participating agencies include the Department of Education, the Division of Developmental Disabilities Services, the Division of Aging and Adults with Physical Disabilities, the Division of Medicaid and Medical Assistance, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Workforce Investment Board, and the Division for the Visually Impaired. Nine additional members, comprising 53 percent of the Advisory Board, are individuals with disabilities who use AT or family members of individuals with disabilities who use AT. Consumer representatives are volunteers who were solicited through networks of disability organizations and councils throughout the state. Although several agency representatives have disabilities, the new law dictates that they are not counted toward the majority membership of people with disabilities and family members of people with disabilities. The DATI Advisory Board will be led by Chairperson Peter Mitchell and Vice-Chair Patty Cannon, who were elected to these positions by acclaim of the members.

Needless to say, this summer was very busy as we worked to meet both the letter and the spirit of the new law. The new Advisory Board was appointed in the spring and had its first meeting in August. The State Plan, which describes how the DATI will fulfill its federal mandate, was submitted in late August, and we recently received word that it was approved. As Governor Minner stated in her letter reaffirming the University of Delaware’s designation as the lead agency for the State of Delaware’s AT Program, “The DATI, which has provided leadership in the assistive technology arena in our state since 1991, will continue to improve access to assistive technology for all Delawareans who might benefit from it.”

Improving AT access and use has been the DATI’s focus for the past 14 years. We continue to refine our services and our information products to best meet the needs of the community, and the next issue of The AT Messenger will unveil some of these exciting enhancements. The recent endorsement of the DATI by both Governor Minner and the federal Rehabilitation Services Administration affirms our path toward the future, and we look forward to providing Delawareans with the high-quality services and supports—including county-based Assistive Technology Resource Centers as well as statewide training, technical assistance, and outreach activities—that they have grown to expect from us over the past 14 years.

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