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Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative

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Volume 11, Issue 3: Summer 2003

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Only Congressional Action Will Save DATI Services

We have received numerous calls and emails expressing concern about the funding status and actual expiration of the Assistive Technology Act and what it means for Delaware. In order to clarify this and provide accurate information, the national Association of Tech Act Projects obtained confirmation of the following information from the Department of Education's Grant Office.

The President eliminated FY '04 funding for the Title I AT State grant program and its accompanying technical assistance program. Federal funding for DATI in Delaware will end on August 31, 2004, if nothing changes. For the last three years, the state projects have been kept alive via amendments to the appropriations bills that have waived the "sunset provision" in the statute. Now it is time to reauthorize the law to ensure the continuation of a state grant program in every state. If no action is taken by September 30, 2003, all state projects funded under Title I of the Assistive Technology Act will be eliminated. If these projects are eliminated, a federal investment that has built a national state-by-state infrastructure will be eliminated.

People with disabilities in Delaware will no longer have access to the same AT access supports on which they have come to depend. Without funding for DATI, the following services would be lost:

Congressional Action Steps

Congress needs to address both the near-term and long-term status of the State AT Projects if they are to continue. That means that Congress must:

Breaking News

As this issue of the AT Messenger was going to print, we received word from Washington that the House Committee on Education and the Workforce has determined that it will consider the AT Act for reauthorization this year. David Cleary, the lead Republican staffer for the Committee, anticipates developing a new bill in the fall.

Despite this positive development, if DATI is to continue after August 30, 2004, this year's appropriations process must restore the funding for State AT Projects eliminated in the President's FY04 budget and waive the sunset provision. The House Appropriations Committee will meet on June 19th and 27th to complete action on the spending bill that impacts the AT Act. The Senate Appropriations Committee is expected to take action in July. For an update on this late-breaking development, call the DATI Central Site at (302) 651-6790 or (800) 870-DATI.

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