Day of Visioning: Increasing Access to Assistive Technology

Question 1: What do you see as the state of AT services nationally?

A key finding that emerged from the discussions is that ‘local development’ is driven by ‘local need’ with regard to both delivery systems and populations served. Within local communities there is an array of successful ‘local solutions’ to the full range of service needs, that may include (a) pre-service education and professional development; (b) distribution networks; (c) product development an distribution; and (d) ‘individual’ research-based strategies (i.e., small scale studies focusing on specific issues/problems).

Discussants noted that awareness level information and professional development is not evenly distributed across constituencies around the country. Additionally, AT knowledge of and means for determining efficacy and outcomes are not sufficiently developed nor widely available. More specifically, it was suggested that a ’funneling’ effect operates within service systems (e.g., AT experts at the national level funnel information in workshops to state leaders; state leaders funnel information to constituencies in communities; AT experts in schools funnel information to teachers and families).

Another concern that emerged in discussions focused on funding ‘priorities’ and cost ‘misinformation’ that tend to prohibit informed assessment. It was suggested that this is driving ‘upscaling’ (e.g., designing and distributing complex AT to meet needs of many individuals, resulting in lack of acceptance by professionals due to complexity).

Links:

*Participant*	*Topic (Video Links)*
Phil Parette	Distributed systems
	Need for professional leadership training
	IDEA and mild disabilities
Ted Hasselbring	Fear/cost factors, and vendor training roles
	Special education has many mixed markets
	Training is being provided in areas where there is no educational market
	Kentucky’s use of AT for statewide testing
Caroline Van Howe	Vendor responsibilities and expectations for training
	Vendor concerns about efficacy data
	Difficulties in sharing AT expertise nationally
Cheryl Volkman	AT has been a separate and often ineffective part of planning, as well as upscaling effect
Cheryl Volkman	Need for and inefficiencies in existing training approaches
Marcia Scherer	Complexity of devices having UDL design
Marcia Scherer	Time constraints in conducing good AT assessments
Cathy Bodine	Current inefficiency of distribution systems
Cathy Bodine	Need for AT baseline knowledge level
Paul Dulle	Infinitec approach to building school AT coalitions
Paul Dulle	Distributed system sustainability
Dianne Ashby	Importance of technology being part of educational experiences for all children
Jim Thompson	Need for general problem-solving skill sets among teachers
Gil Barner	AT field is a cottage industry without mass and inefficiency of distribution
	Need cohesive plan to take AT to the world
	Strategies for developing AT plan
	Needs for moderator/expertise in developing AT plan
Ruth Ziolkowski	Need for broad awareness of AT with less dependence on ‘experts’
	AT niche markets
	Sustainability issue and need to get AT to students
	Need to examine successful systems and identify best practices in classrooms
	Need for AT model to teach people basic AT skills