The Technology-Related Assistance to Persons with Disabilities Act of 1988 (Technology Act) was created to provide technical assistance to people with disabilities, so that they can participate more fully in education, employment and daily activities on an equal basis with other members of their communities. The Act defines an assistive technology device as any item, equipment, or product system, whether commercially purchased, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of people with disabilities. An assistive technology service is any service that directly helps a person with a disability to select, acquire, or use an assistive technology device. The Technology Act was amended in 1994 and 1998. The Assistive Technology Act of 1998 (P, L) provided federal funding to all states and required the provision of support, assistive technology devices and training to all people with a disability as a civil right. In addition, discretionary funding was expected for research and development projects such as the establishment of standards for the interoperability of information technology and assistive technology and the research of technical solutions to known problems or barriers. In Missouri, people with disabilities can receive training on the use and integration of assistive technology and, in turn, obtain jobs to train other people with disabilities in the use of computers to process basic texts and browse the web.
States are required to provide assistive technology devices to accommodate the person with a disability. The purpose of the law is to provide assistive technology to people with disabilities, so that they can participate more fully in education, employment and daily activities on an equal basis with other members of their communities. States must provide alternative funding for the purchase or lease of equipment, training and technical support for equipment, short-term equipment loans, referrals for equipment repair and maintenance, equipment demonstration, and references for evaluation and evaluation related to the selection and integration of appropriate assistive technology. In addition, state programs are required to develop training programs and information sources to educate citizens and employers to meet the assistive technology needs of people with disabilities. The reauthorization of the Technology Act of 1998 required states to develop and implement a state plan that detailed training, support, and services in assistive technology for citizens with disabilities. This is a reauthorization of the Assistive Technology Act that has been in force since 1998 but its purpose and related services have not always been evident or made well known to the intended recipients. Starting with the Americans with Disabilities Act (or ADA), which is the civil rights law that prohibits discrimination against a person with disabilities, the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 has been innovative for people with disabilities.
Assistive technology is any equipment, device, or system that is used to improve or maintain the level of ability of a child with a disability in the educational environment.
