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:
- Statewide Assistive Technology Resource Centers
- No-cost equipment demonstrations and equipment loans
- Technical assistance from trained AT professionals via phone, e-mail, & on-site
- Statewide Equipment Exchange Program
- This newsletter
- The DATI website
- AT publications specific to the needs of Delawareans, such as the Guide to Resources for AT in Delaware
- Training (statewide, regionally and locally) on a variety of AT topics
- Interagency coordination of AT services
- Expert assistance in locating funding resources for AT and home modifications.
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:
- Reauthorize the Assistive Technology Act (P.L.105-394) and fix the law to ensure ongoing funding for the Delaware Assistive Technology Initiative. This needs to occur before September 30, 2003.
- Amend the Appropriations Bill to provide at least the same funding level as FY03 for State Assistive Technology Programs. $26,824,000 was the final FY03 appropriation amount for Title I of the Assistive Technology Act. Delaware's portion of this is $348,000 annually.
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.
Only Congressional Action Will Save DATI Services
The "Disability-Friendly" Workplace
Inaugural Money Management Workshop A Great Success
Dealing with Standing Limitations
Inclusion Conference Scheduled for November
Technology in Literacy Education Grant Competition
NIDRR Seeks Input to Long-Range Plan
Resource for the Road: National Mobility Equipment Dealers Association
Did You Know?
Access
at the Gas Pump
Election Reforms Benefit Voters with Disabilities
Safe Transport for Children with Special Needs