[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 48 (Tuesday, March 19, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S2444]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   SENATE RESOLUTION 594--DESIGNATING APRIL 17, 2024, AS ``NATIONAL 
                  ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY AWARENESS DAY''

  Mr. CASEY (for himself and Mr. Cramer) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary:

                              S. Res. 594

       Whereas assistive technology is any item, piece of 
     equipment, or product system that is used to increase, 
     maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of a person 
     with a disability or an older adult;
       Whereas an assistive technology service is any service that 
     directly assists a person with a disability or an older adult 
     in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive 
     technology device;
       Whereas, in 2023, the Centers for Disease Control and 
     Prevention reported that 1 in 4 people in the United States, 
     or almost 61,000,000 individuals, has a disability;
       Whereas, during the 2021-2022 school year, the Department 
     of Education reported that there were more than 7,300,000 
     children with disabilities;
       Whereas the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
     reported that, among adults 65 years of age and older, 2 in 5 
     have a disability;
       Whereas assistive technology enables people with 
     disabilities and older adults to be included in their 
     communities and in inclusive classrooms and workplaces;
       Whereas assistive technology devices and services are 
     necessities, not luxury items, for millions of people with 
     disabilities and older adults, without which they would be 
     unable to live in their communities, access education, or 
     obtain, retain, and advance gainful, competitive, and 
     integrated employment;
       Whereas the availability of assistive technology in the 
     workplace promotes economic self-sufficiency, enhances work 
     participation, and is critical to the employment of people 
     with disabilities and older adults; and
       Whereas State assistive technology programs support a 
     continuum of services that include--
       (1) the exchange, repair, recycling, and other 
     reutilization of assistive technology devices;
       (2) device loan programs that provide short-term loans of 
     assistive technology devices to individuals, employers, 
     public agencies, and others;
       (3) the demonstration of devices to inform decision making; 
     and
       (4) State financing to help individuals purchase or obtain 
     assistive technology through a variety of initiatives, such 
     as financial loan programs, leasing programs, and other 
     financing alternatives that give individuals affordable, 
     flexible options to purchase or obtain assistive technology: 
     Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved, That the Senate--
       (1) designates April 17, 2024, as ``National Assistive 
     Technology Awareness Day''; and
       (2) commends--
       (A) assistive technology specialists and program 
     coordinators for their hard work and dedication in serving 
     people with disabilities who are in need of finding the 
     proper assistive technology to meet their individual needs; 
     and
       (B) professional organizations and researchers dedicated to 
     facilitating the access and acquisition of assistive 
     technology for people with disabilities and older adults in 
     need of assistive technology devices.

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