REAUTHORIZATION OFTHE TECHNOLOGY-RELATED ASSISTANCE FORINDIVIDUALS WITH DISABIL­ ITIES ACT HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ONSELECT EDUCATION AND CIVIL RIGHTS OF THE COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ONE HUNDRED THIRD CONGRESS FIRST SESSION HEARING HELD IN WASHINGTON, DC, JUNE 10, 1993 Serial No. 103-36 Printed for the use of the Committee on Education and Labor U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 75-123 ** WASHINGTON : 1994 For sale by the U.S. Government Printing Office Superintendent of Documents, Congressional Sales Office, Washington, DC 20402 ISBN 0-16-043474-2 COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR WILLIAM D. FORD, Michigan, Chairman WILLIAM (BILL) CLAY, Missouri WILLIAM F. GOODLING, Pennsylvania GEORGE MILLER, California THOMAS E. PETRI, Wisconsin AUSTIN J. MURPHY, Pennsylvania MARGE ROUKEMA, New Jersey DALE E. KILDEE, Michigan STEVE GUNDERSON, Wisconsin PAT WILLIAMS, Montana RICHARD K. ARMEY, Texas MATTHEW G. MARTINEZ, California HARRIS W. FAWELL, Illinois MAJOR R. OWENS, New York PAUL B. HENRY, Michigan THOMAS C. SAWYER, Ohio CASS BALLENGER, North Carolina DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey SUSAN MOLINARI, New York JOLENE UNSOELD, Washington BILL BARRETT, Nebraska PATSY T. MINK, Hawaii JOHN A. BOEHNER, Ohio ROBERT E. ANDREWS, New Jersey RANDY "DUKE" CUNNINGHAM, California JACK REED, Rhode Island PETER HOECKSTRA, Michigan TIM ROEMER, Indiana HOWARD P. "BUCK" McKEON, California ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York DAN MILLER, Florida XAVIER BECERRA, California ROBERT C. SCOTT, Virginia GENE GREEN, Texas LYNN C. WOOLSEY, California CARLOS A. ROMERO-BARCELO, Puerto Rico RON KLINK, Pennsylvania KARAN ENGLISH, Arizona TED STRICKLAND, Ohio RON DE LUGO, Virgin Islands ENI F. H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American Samoa SCOTTY BAESLER, Kentucky ROBERT A. UNDERWOOD, Guam PATRICIA F. RISSLER, Staff Director JAY EAGEN, Minority Staff Director SUBCOMMITTEE ON SELECT EDUCATION AND CIVIL RIGHTS MAJOR R. OWENS, New York, Chairman DONALD M. PAYNE, New Jersey CASS BALLENGER, North Carolina ROBERT C. SCOTT, Virginia BILL BARRETT, Nebraska THOMAS C. SAWYER, Ohio HARRIS W. FAWELL, Illinois (II) CONTENTS Page Hearing held in Washington, DC, June 10, 1993 1 Statement of: Morris, Michael, United Cerebral Palsy Association; Steven B. Mendel­ sohn, San Francisco, CA; and Alistair MacKinnon, Legislative Director, New York State Department of Education 52 Sallee, Stephen, Winston-Salem, NC; Ricki Cook, Project Director, North Carolina Assistive Technology Project; and Andrew Winnegar, Project Director, New Mexico Technology-Related Assistance Program 16 Smith, Hon. William, Acting Assistant Secretary, Office of Special Educa­ tion and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), U.S. Department of Educa­ tion, accompanied by Carol Cichowski, Department of Education, Office of Management and Budget; and Betty Jo Berland, Planning Officer, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research 5 Prepared statements, letters, supplemental materials, et cetera: Cook, Ricki, Project Director, North Carolina Assistive Technology Project, prepared statement of. 28 Fawell, Hon. Harris W., a Representative in Congress from the State of Illinois, prepared statement of 2 Golinker, Lewis Esq., The Electronic Industries Association Consumer Electronics Group, prepared statement of 86 Additional material submitted for the record by 88 MacKinnon, Alistair, Legislative Director, New York State Department of Education, prepared statement of 76 Mendelsohn, Steven B., San Fransisco, CA, prepared statement of 71 Morris, Michael, United Cerebral Palsy Association, prepared statement of 57 Owens, Hon. Major R., a Representative in Congress from the State of New York, prepared statement of 2 Sallee, Stephen, Winston-Salem, NC; Ricki Cook, Project Director, North Carolina Assistive Technology Project, prepared statement of 20 Smith, Hon. William, Acting Assistant Secretary, Office of Special Educa­ tion and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), U.S. Department of Educa­ tion, prepared statement of 7 Additional material submitted for the record 10 Additional material submitted for the record 12 Winnegar, Andrew, Project Director, New Mexico Technology-Related Assistance Program, prepared statement of 38 (III) REAUTHORIZATION OF THE TECHNOLOGY-RE­ LATED ASSISTANCE FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES ACT THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1993 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON SELECT EDUCATION AND CIVIL RIGHTS, COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION AND LABOR, Washington, DC. The subcommittee met, pursuant to call, at 10 a.m., Room 2261, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Major R. Owens, Chairman, presiding. Members present: Representatives Owens, Payne, Ballenger, and Barrett. Staff present: Maria Cuprill; Wanser Green; Paul Seltman; and Sally Lovejoy. Chairman OWENS. The hearing of the Subcommittee on Select Education and Civil Rights is now in session. This is the final hearing regarding the Technology-Related As­ sistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988. We will hear tomorrow concerning our draft bill and explore different ways to achieve the policy objectives of the bill. We have heard from State project directors and other witnesses who indicated the States need clearer standards of accountability and need to establish low-interest loan programs for consumers when public funds are not available for acquiring assistive technol­ ogy. There is also a need for more assistive technology training, outreach to minority populations, and dissemination of information across State lines to avoid duplication of efforts. In addition to addressing all of these concerns, our draft bill moves beyond them and looks to the future. Increased ability of consumers to locate funding for the devices they need will be of little consequence unless there is continued development of assis­ tive technologies. The Federal Government must make a commitment to help es­ tablish more businesses owned and operated by individuals with disabilities to engage in the development of assistive technology de- vices. Moreover, we must take advantage of opportunities presented by dual-use technology—technology that can be transferred from one intended use to another. Finally, we must encourage companies to continue their develop­ ment of products of universal design which can be used by all people regardless of functional limitation. (1) 2 I look forward to this morning's testimony. [The prepared statement of Hon. Major R. Owens follows:] STATEMENT OF HON. MAJOR R. OWENS, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF NEW YORK This is the final hearing regarding the Reauthorization of the "Technology-Relat­ ed Assistance for Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1988." Today, we will hear tes­ timony concerning our draft bill, and explore different ways to achieve the policy objectives of the bill. We have heard from State project directors and other witnesses who indicated: the States need clearer standards of accountability; the need to establish low-inter­ est loan programs for consumers when public funds are not available for acquiring assistive technology; the need for more assistive technology training; the need for outreach to minority populations; and the need to disseminate information across State lines to avoid duplication of efforts. In addition to addressing all of these concerns, our draft bill moves beyond them and looks to the future. The increased ability of consumers to locate funding for de- vices they need will be of little consequence unless there is continued development of assistive technologies. The Federal Government must make a commitment to help establish small businesses, owned and operated by individuals with disabilities, to engage in the development of assistive technology devices. Moreover, we must take advantage of opportunities presented by dual-use technology—technology that can be transferred from one intended use to another. Finally, we must encourage companies to continue their development of products of universal design, which can be used by all people, regardless of functional limitation. I look forward to this morning's testimony. Chairman OWENS. I yield to Mr. Ballenger for an opening state­ ment. Mr. BALLENGER. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If I may, may I enter into the record a statement by Congress- man Fawell? Chairman OWENS. Yes, without objection. [The prepared statement of Hon. Harris W. Fawell follows:] STATEMENT OF HON. HARRIS W. FAWELL, A REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS FROM THE STATE OF ILLINOIS Thank you Mr. Chairman. I am looking forward to today's testimony and the op­ portunity to examine some of the issues surrounding the reauthorization of the Technology-Related Assistance Act for Individuals With Disabilities [Public Law 100-407]. I am especially looking forward to hearing testimony on what types of projects have been supported in the 42 States which have received grants under the program to date. My own State of Illinois has used the grant money it has received over the past four years to implement a program to increase the availability of assistive technolo­ gy to persons with disabilities and older adults with age-related impairments in a variety of ways. In order to increase awareness of the various services, devices, and possible funding sources, the Illinois Assistive Technology Project publishes a hand- book on the basic skills in assistive technology, a funding manual, and a bimonthly newsletter called Techtalk. The Project has also established five Assistive Technology Demonstration and Loan Centers which provide opportunities for persons with disabilities to learn about assistive