[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 78 (Tuesday, June 16, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1141]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 THE ASSISTIVE AND UNIVERSALLY DESIGNED TECHNOLOGY IMPROVEMENT ACT FOR 
                     INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. CONSTANCE A. MORELLA

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 16, 1998

  Mrs. MORELLA. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today to introduce H.R. XX, 
the Assistive and Universally Designed Technology Improvement Act for 
Individuals with Disabilities. H.R. XX is the House companion bill to 
S. 2173 offered by my distinguished Senate colleague from Missouri, Mr. 
Bond.
  Last July, my Technology Subcommittee held a hearing focusing on the 
transfer of federal technologies to meet the needs of those with 
disabled conditions. We learned from the hearing that these 
technologies, known as ``assistive technologies'' are being used to 
increase, maintain, and improve the functional capabilities of 
individuals with disabilities.
  Assistive technologies is a device, whether acquired commercially, 
off-the-shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, 
maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with 
disabilities. Examples of assistive technologies, which provide for 
more independent, productive, and enjoyable living, can be simple or 
complex. It ranges from: Velcro, adapted clothing and toys, computers, 
seating systems, powered mobility, augmentative communication devices, 
special switches, assisted listening devices, visual aids, memory 
prosthetics, to thousands of other commercially available or adapted 
items. As examples, it can be: a computer that can be used by an 
individual with Cerebral Palsy, a motor scooter, a hearing aid for an 
individual who is aging, or enhanced voice recognition for someone with 
Multiple Sclerosis.
  Assistive technologies provide a disabled individual the means to 
function better in the workplace or the home. This technology, which 
aids Americans with physical or mental disabilities, improves the end 
users' quality of life and provides a means for acquiring a job. For 
the 49 million people in the United States who have disabilities, as 
well as for Americans who are able bodied, assistive technologies have 
yielded a tremendous number of quality of life enhancements.
  These technology solutions improve an individual's ability to learn, 
compete, work and interact with family and friends. People use 
assistive technology to achieve greater independence and to enhance the 
quality of their lives.
  A preliminary study on the impact and benefits of assistive 
technologies was conducted by the National Council on Disability in 
1993. Surveyed were 136 individuals with disabilities to evaluate the 
costs and benefits associated with the use of different kinds of 
technology-related assistance. The individuals were from four age 
groups and the results indicate a significant impact of assistive 
technologies on many aspects of the respondents lives, including: the 
majority of infants with disabilities benefited by having fewer health 
problems; nearly 75% of school age children were able to remain in a 
regular classroom, and 45% were able to reduce their use of school-
related services; 65% of working-age persons were able to reduce 
dependence on family members, 58% were able to reduce dependence on 
paid assistance, and 37% were able to increase earnings. Among elderly 
persons, 80% were able to reduce dependence on others, half were able 
to reduce dependency on paid persons, and half were able to avoid 
entering a nursing home.
  As a result of our July hearing, the Technology Subcommittee was 
impressed with the need for a greater emphasis to develop assistive 
technologies. Yet, the area of assistive technology is greatly 
overlooked by the Federal Government and the private sector. While the 
importance of assistive technologies spans age and disability 
classifications, assistive technology does not maintain the recognition 
in the Federal Government necessary to provide important assistance for 
research and development programs or to individuals with disabilities.
  The private sector generally lacks adequate incentives to produce 
assistive technologies and end-users lack adequate resources to acquire 
assistive technology. It is also believed that there are insufficient 
links between federally funded assistive technology research and 
development programs and the private sector entities responsible for 
translating research and development into significant new products in 
the marketplace for end-users.
  H.R. -- provides federally supported incentives in all areas of 
assistive and universally designed technology, including need 
identification, research and development, product evaluation, 
technology transfer, and commercialization. These incentives achieve 
the goal of improving the quality, functional capability, distribution, 
and affordability of this essential technology. The legislation seeks 
to:
  Improve the peer review process at the National Institute on 
Disability Research and Rehabilitation (NIDRR) at the Department of 
Education. These improvements would provide greater assistive and 
universally designed technology products to the marketplace, increase 
small business involvement in research and development, and assure 
research and development efforts would cover all disability groups 
including persons with physical and mental disabilities, as well as the 
aging and rural technology users.
  Augment technology transfer by improving the role of the Interagency 
Committee on Disability Research (ICDR) to increase its authority, 
accountability and ability to coordinate. Provisions are included for 
the increased usage of the Federal labs to improve coordination with 
all Federal agencies involved in assistive and universally designed 
technology research and development and for providing public and 
private sector partnerships for assistive and universally designed 
technology research and development.
  Increase the market for assistive technology by clarifying Title III 
of the Tech Act for the Microloan program. This microloan program 
assists disabled persons in obtaining assistive and universally 
designed technology.
  Authorizes funding for the Interagency Committee on Disability 
Research to hire staff and for operating costs associated with issuing 
surveys and reports and to the National Institute on Disability 
Research and Rehabilitation to provide for assistive and universally 
designed technology research and development.
  Increase access to assistive and universally designed technology by 
creating tax incentives to provide businesses a tax credit for the 
development of assistive technology, to expand the architectural and 
transportation barrier removal deduction to include communication 
barriers, and to expand the work opportunity credit to include expenses 
incurred in the acquisition of technology to facilitate the employment 
of any individual with a disability.
  I am pleased that H.R. -- already has the support of the United 
Cerebral Palsy Association, the Rehabilitation Engineering and 
Assistive Technology Society of North America, the National Easter Seal 
Society, and The Association of Tech Act Projects.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important bill and 
I will work towards enactment of this worthy legislation.

                          ____________________