[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 61 (Wednesday, May 5, 2004)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E757]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[[Page E757]]
     INTRODUCING THE IMPROVING ACCESS TO ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR 
                   INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. HOWARD P. ``BUCK'' McKEON

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Wednesday, May 5, 2004

  Mr. McKEON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to introduce the Improving 
Access to Assistive Technology for Individuals with Disabilities Act. 
This legislation improves the Assistive Technology Act to ensure that 
individuals with disabilities have access to assistive technology 
services and equipment throughout their lives. I would like to thank 
the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Boehner), the Chairman of the Committee on 
Education and the Workforce, for his assistance in bringing this bill 
to this point.
  Since 1988, the federal government has played an important role in 
helping states develop systems to provide access to assistive 
technology devices and services for individuals with disabilities. The 
original intent of this program was to provide seed money for states to 
establish state-wide systems to help individuals with disabilities. 
Since then all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and 
the outlying areas have established systems of some design and scope. 
In the original legislation, we wisely put in a sunset provision that 
caused us to reexamine the role and scope of the original program.
  For the past 2 years, my subcommittee has been investigating this 
program; we have held a hearing on this important program, visited 
assistive technology centers, and discussed the benefits and drawbacks 
of the existing program. We have sought broad input from our friends 
across the aisle, from the disability community, and from the state 
programs to gain valuable insight into this program. As we go through 
the legislative process we will continue to seek input from our friends 
on the other side of the aisle as well as our friends in the disability 
community to make this a strong bill.
  In the bill we are introducing today, we are shifting the focus of 
the program to individuals with disabilities. Our goal is to help 
states get more pieces of assistive technology into the hands of 
individuals with disabilities. This new focus will expand the reach of 
the state programs by moving away from support of administrative 
activities toward emphasizing the importance of getting the technology 
itself to the individuals with disabilities that need it.
  Although we are refocusing the program, we certainly recognize the 
importance of state flexibility, and our bill maintains that important 
element of the program. We direct states to focus their efforts of 
putting technology into the hands of individuals with disabilities.
  We ask that States develop alternative financing methods to enhance 
the ability of individuals with disabilities to access assistive 
technology devices and services through low interest loans, interest 
buy-down programs, revolving loan funds, loan guarantee, or other 
mechanisms of the State's choice.
  Additionally, we allow States to choose to develop: Assistive 
technology device loan programs to support short-term loan programs of 
assistive technology devices to individuals with disabilities; 
assistive technology device reutilization programs (i.e., recycling) to 
use assistive technology devices multiple times with multiple 
individuals; or assistive technology device demonstration programs to 
teach people with disabilities about the variety of available assistive 
technology devices and how to use them.
  These are important and necessary activities and I am confident that 
states will continue to work with stakeholders in their communities to 
enhance or develop comprehensive programs that will provide tremendous 
benefit to individuals with disabilities. In fact, we require that 
states do just that, so we are ensuring that individuals with 
disabilities will continue to have important input in this program.
  I deeply appreciate the importance of assistive technology devices 
and services for individuals with disabilities. These devices can make 
a major difference in the lives of individuals with disabilities. 
Assistive technology can help individuals meet the challenges they face 
every day, and through the use of assistive technology, an individual 
with a disability can overcome almost any obstacle he or she faces.
  I look forward to working with the members of the Committee, other 
members of Congress, and other stakeholders as we craft legislation 
that will build upon and improve previous reforms. These steps to 
strengthen assistive technology programs will also complement our 
ongoing effort to ensure that children with disabilities receive a 
quality education. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of the 
Improving Access to Assistive Technology for Individuals with 
Disabilities Act.

                          ____________________