National Assistive Technology Act Data System

Annual Progress Report - Full Report

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Montana 2023

General Information

Statewide AT Program (Information to be listed in national State AT Program Directory)

State AT Program Title:

MonTECH

State AT Program Title:

State AT Program URL

http://montech.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/

Mailing Address:

29 McGill Hall

City:

Missoula

State:

Montana

Zip Code:

59812

Program Email:

montech@ruralinstitute.umt.edu

Phone:

4062435751

TTY:

Lead Agency

Agency Name:

MonTECH at Rural Institute for Inclusive Communities, University of Montana

Mailing Address:

29 McGill Hall, University of Montana

City:

Missoula

State:

Montana

Zip Code:

59812

Program URL:

http://montech.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/

Implementing Entity

Does your Lead Agency contract with an Implementing Entity to carry out the Statewide AT Program on its behalf? (Check if Yes)

Name of Implementing Agency:

Mailing Address:

City

State:

Zip Code:

Program URL:

Program Director and Other Contacts

Program Director for State AT Program (last, first):

Kimmel, Molly

Title:

Program Director

Phone:

4062435769

E-mail:

molly.kimmel@mso.umt.edu

Program Director at Lead Agency (last, first):

Kimmel, Molly

Title:

Program Director

Phone:

4062435769

E-mail:

molly.kimmel@mso.umt.edu

Primary Contact at Implementing Agency (last, first) - If applicable:

Title:

Phone:

E-mail:

Person Responsible for completing this form if other than Program Director

Name (last, first):

Title:

Phone:

E-mail:

Certifying Representative

Name (last, first):

Kimmel, Molly

Title:

Program Director

Phone:

4062435769

E-mail:

molly.kimmel@mso.umt.edu

State Financing

Did your approved state plan for this reporting period include any State Financing?

Yes

Did your approved state plan for this reporting period include conducting a Financial Loan Program?

Yes

Loan Applications
	Metro RUCC 1-3	Non-Metro RUCC 4-9	Total
	Area of Residence		Total
Approved Loan made	06	01	07
Approved Not made	00	00	00
Rejected	00	00	00
Total	06	01	07

2. Income of Applicants to Whom Loans Were Made

Lowest/Highest Incomes
Lowest Income:	$3,717	Highest Income:	$111,696

Average Income
Sum of Incomes	Loans Made	Average Annual Income
$305,069	07	$43,581

Number and Percentage of Loans Made to Applicants by Income Range
	$15,000 or Less	$15,001- $30,000	$30,001- $45,000	$45,001- $60,000	$60,001- $75,000	$75,001 or More	Total
	Income Ranges						Total
Number of Loans	01	01	03	00	01	01	07
Percentage of Loans	14.29%	14.29%	42.86%	0%	14.29%	14.29%	100%

3. Loan Type

Loan Type
Type of Loan	Number of Loans	Percentage of loans
Revolving Loans	07	100%
Partnership Loans
Without interest buy-down or loan guarantee	00	0%
With interest buy-down only	00	0%
With loan guarantee only	00	0%
With both interest buy-down and loan guarantee	00	0%
Total	07	100%

Loan Type Summary
Type of Loan	Number of Loans	Dollar Value of Loans
Revolving Loans	07	$131,155
Partnership Loans	00	$0
Total	07	$131,155

4. Interest Rates

Interest Rates
Lowest	3.5%
Highest	3.5%

Interest Rate Summary
Sum of Interest Rates	Number of Loans Made	Average Interest Rate
25	07	3.57142857142857%

Number of Loans Made by Interest Rate
Interest Rate	Number of loans
0.0% to 2.0%	00
2.1% to 4.0%	07
4.1% to 6.0%	00
6.1% to 8.0%	00
8.1% - 10.0%	00
10.1%-12.0%	00
12.1%-14.0%	00
14.1% +	00
Total	07

5. Types and Dollar Amounts of AT Financed

Types and Dollar Amounts of AT Financed
Type of AT	Number of Devices Financed	Dollar Value of Loans
Vision	00	$0
Hearing	02	$10,595
Speech communication	00	$0
Learning, cognition, and developmental	00	$0
Mobility, seating and positioning	01	$5,500
Daily living	01	$12,500
Environmental adaptations	00	$0
Vehicle modification and transportation	03	$102,560
Computers and related	00	$0
Recreation, sports, and leisure	00	$0
Total	07	$131,155

6. Defaults

Defaults
Number Loans in default	00
Net loss for loans in default	$0

B. State Financing Activities that provide consumers with resources and services that result in the acquisition of AT devices and services

1. Overview of Activities Performed

How many other state financing activities that provide consumers with access to funds for the purchase of AT devices and services were included in your approved state plan?

C. State Financing Activities that Allow Consumers to Obtain AT at Reduced Cost

1. Overview of Activities Performed

How many state financing activities that allow consumers to obtain AT at a reduced cost were included in your approved state plan?

D. Anecdote

T.O. lives with scoliosis and cervical spinal stenosis, and the torture of neuropathy and pinched nerves affects every aspect of her life. “The neuropathy is a feeling that is really unbearable,” she explains. “It’s difficult to live with because my leg will go numb or my foot will go numb and I can’t feel it, like it’s not even there. It can be dangerous.” T.O. learned a massage chair might help, but the price tag of $5,499 was well beyond reach; T.O. lives on $1,306 per month. Being a former legal analyst, she threw herself into online research and found the Montana Assistive Technology Loan (MATL) Program. The application process was easy and she was able to purchase her chair. Has it made a difference? You bet! “I’m in a lot of pain almost all the time, and the chair relieves some of that pain,” she says. “I can spend some time in the chair, using the mode that squeezes arms, feet, and ankles, and the neuropathy goes away. I can be ok for a couple of days. It was really a Godsend for me to be able to get it.”

woman with gray hair lounges in a giant massage chair, holding a remote and smiling

Impact Area Education Employment Community Living

E. Performance Measures

Performance Measures
Response	Primary Purpose for Which AT is Needed			Total
Response	Education	Employment	Community Living	Total
1. Could only afford the AT through the AT program.	00	00	07	07
2. AT was only available through the AT program.	00	00	00	00
3. AT was available through other programs, but the system was too complex or the wait time too long.	00	00	00	00
4. Subtotal	00	00	07	07
5. None of the above	00	00	00	00
6. Subtotal	00	00	07	07
7. Nonrespondent	00	00	00	00
8. Total	00	00	07	07
9. Performance on this measure	NaN%	NaN%	100%

F. Customer Satisfaction

Satisfaction
Customer Rating of Services	Number of Customers	Percent
Highly satisfied	07	100%
Satisfied	00	0%
Satisfied somewhat	00	0%
Not at all satisfied	00	0%
Nonrespondent	00	0%
Total Surveyed	07
Response rate %	100%

G. Notes:

Reutilization

Did your approved State Plan for this reporting period included conducting any device reuse activities?

A. Number of Recipients of Reused Devices

Activity	Number of Individuals Receiving a Device from Activity
A. Device Exchange	03
B. Device Refurbish/Repair - Reassign and/or Open Ended Loan	430
C. Total	433

Performance Measure
D. Excluded from Performance Measure because AT is provided to or on behalf of an entity that has an obligation to provide the AT such as schools under IDEA or VR agencies/clients.	00
E. Number of Individuals Included in Performance Measures	433

If a number is reported in D you must provide a description of the reason the individuals are excluded from the performance

B. Device Exchange Activities

Device Exchange
Type of AT Device	Number of Devices Exchanged	Total Estimated Current Purchase Price	Total Price for Which Device(s) Were Exchanged	Savings to Consumers
Vision	00	$0	$0	$0
Hearing	00	$0	$0	$0
Speech Communication	00	$0	$0	$0
Learning, Cognition and Developmental	00	$0	$0	$0
Mobility, Seating and Positioning	02	$2,032	$0	$2,032
Daily Living	01	$64	$0	$64
Environmental Adaptations	00	$0	$0	$0
Vehicle Modification & Transportation	00	$0	$0	$0
Computers and Related	00	$0	$0	$0
Recreation, Sports and Leisure	00	$0	$0	$0
Total	03	$2,096	$0	$2,096

C. Device Refurbish/Repair - Reassignment and/or Open Ended Loan Activities

Device Reassign/Repair/Refurbish and/or OEL
Type of AT Device	Number of Devices Reassigned/Refurbished and Repaired	Total Estimated Current Purchase Price	Total Price for Which Device(s) Were Sold	Savings to Consumers
Vision	11	$19,910	$0	$19,910
Hearing	00	$0	$0	$0
Speech Communication	05	$2,394	$0	$2,394
Learning, Cognition and Developmental	00	$0	$0	$0
Mobility, Seating and Positioning	406	$375,902	$1	$375,901
Daily Living	33	$10,504	$0	$10,504
Environmental Adaptations	00	$0	$0	$0
Vehicle Modification & Transportation	00	$0	$0	$0
Computers and Related	03	$1,365	$0	$1,365
Recreation, Sports and Leisure	05	$1,302	$0	$1,302
Total	463	$411,377	$1	$411,376

D. Anecdote

After a driver on meth passed out at the wheel and plowed across the center line, S.D. ended up in the hospital with three breaks in his femur, broken bones in his hand and arm, and a severe concussion. Following a three-week hospital stay, he was looking at months of rehab. His wife knew it was going to be an ordeal. “My husband is stubborn as all get-out and doesn’t like people to do stuff for him,” she said. “so finding long-term equipment was important.” The couple borrowed tools to help S.D. shower and dress as independently as possible. A HandyBar was hugely helpful for getting him in and out of vehicles. Most important from a father’s perspective, S.D. borrowed a reused off-road wheelchair with all-terrain wheels to get onto the football field for their sons’ games. “You miss a lot when you go through an experience like that,” S.D. explained. “I missed the 21st of August until the first part of October. It was partway through their season before I got to watch a game.” S.D.’s wife noted that purchasing all the equipment they needed would have been a hardship. The savings meant a lot to S.D. too. “I think MonTECH did an outstanding job, all the equipment you loaned us and for nothing,” he said. “Without the help of MonTECH, we would have been out thousands of dollars.”

smiling father standing in front of a wheelchair with arm around his son in a football uniform

Impact Area Education Employment Community Living

E. Performance Measures

Performance Measures
Response	Primary Purpose for Which AT is Needed			Total
Response	Education	Employment	Community Living	Total
1. Could only afford the AT through the AT program.	51	00	145	196
2. AT was only available through the AT program.	18	03	216	237
3. AT was available through other programs, but the system was too complex or the wait time too long.	00	00	00	00
4. Subtotal	69	03	361	433
5. None of the above	00	00	00	00
6. Subtotal	69	03	361	433
7. Nonrespondent	00	00	00	00
8. Total	69	03	361	433
9. Performance on this measure	100%	100%	100%

F. Customer Satisfaction

Satisfaction
Customer Rating of Services	Number of Customers	Percent
Highly satisfied	423	97.69%
Satisfied	10	2.31%
Satisfied somewhat	00	0%
Not at all satisfied	00	0%
Nonrespondent	00	0%
Total Surveyed	433
Response rate %	100%

G. Notes:

Device Loan

Did your approved State Plan for this reporting period included conducting Short-Term Device Loans?

A. Short-Term Device Loans by Type of Purpose

Loans By Purpose
Primary Purpose of Short-Term Device Loan	Number
Assist in decision-making (device trial or evaluation)	814
Serve as loaner during service repair or while waiting for funding	01
Provide an accommodation on a short-term basis for a time-limited event/situation	00
Conduct training, self-education or other professional development activity	00
Total	815

B. Short-Term Device Loan by Type of Borrower

LOANS BY TYPE OF BORROWER
Type of Individual or Entity	Number of Device Borrowers
Type of Individual or Entity	Desicion-making	All other Purposes	Total
Individuals with Disabilities	339	00	339
Family Members, Guardians, and Authorized Representatives	186	00	186
Representative of Education	160	01	161
Representative of Employment	03	00	03
Representatives of Health, Allied Health, and Rehabilitation	119	00	119
Representatives of Community Living	07	00	07
Representatives of Technology	00	00	00
Total	814	01	815

C. Length of Short-Term Device Loans

Length of Short-Term Device Loan in Days	30

D. Types of Devices Loaned

Types of Devices Loaned
Type of AT Device	Number of Devices
Type of AT Device	Desicion-making	All other Purposes	Total
Vision	150	00	150
Hearing	30	00	30
Speech Communication	468	00	468
Learning, Cognition and Developmental	186	00	186
Mobility, Seating and Positioning	179	03	182
Daily Living	402	00	402
Environmental Adaptations	00	00	00
Vehicle Modification and Transportation	01	00	01
Computers and Related	97	00	97
Recreation, Sports and Leisure	107	00	107
Total	1,620	03	1,623

E. Anecdote

N.M. built his career in the great outdoors – literally. As a landscape architect, he designs city parks and playgrounds, and updates trailheads and campgrounds. In his off hours, he’s still outside hiking in Montana’s extraordinary forests and mountains. It used to be easy to include N.M. son, E. in family hikes. E. has Pitt-Hopkins Syndrome. When he was little, he could be carried. At seven years old, that’s trickier. But leaving E behind is not an option. “He needs to be one with the family and experience the same things,” N.M. shared. “He loves to get outside. Every time we go on hikes, he is laughing and loving being out there.” Enter MonTECH’s Freeloader Child Carrier, a device designed to allow an adult to carry a child up to 80 pounds. N.M. borrowed the Freeloader for family hikes in rough terrain. That doesn’t mean carrying E. is easy, but it does mean Freeloader can help the whole family get up rocky and narrow paths impassable for other adaptive-recreation options. The family appreciates equipment loans through MonTECH. “MonTECH has always been around to help with questions about anything from car seats to high-chair attachments to gait trainers, mobility, and speech,” N.M. said. “It’s instrumental to try things out because there’s a huge price, and that’s a huge barrier to accessing this equipment if MonTECH wasn’t around.”

smiling father on top of a mountain, with smiling young son in backpack behind him

Impact Area Education Employment Community Living

F. Access Performance Measures

Access Performance Measures
Response	Primary Purpose for Which AT is Needed			Total
Response	Education	Employment	Community Living	Total
Decided that AT device/service will meet needs	128	13	306	447
Decided that an AT device/ service will not meet needs	17	05	48	70
Subtotal	145	18	354	517
Have not made a decision	37	01	50	88
Subtotal	182	19	404	605
Nonrespondent	61	06	142	209
Total	243	25	546	814
Performance on this measure	79.67%	94.74%	87.62%

G. Acquisition Performance Measures

Acquisition Performance Measures
Response	Primary Purpose for Which AT is Needed			Total
Response	Education	Employment	Community Living	Total
1. Could only afford the AT through the AT program.	01	00	00	01
2. AT was only available through the AT program.	00	00	00	00
3. AT was available through other programs, but the system was too complex or the wait time too long.	00	00	00	00
4. Subtotal	01	00	00	01
5. None of the above	00	00	00	00
6. Subtotal	01	00	00	01
7. Nonrespondent	00	00	00	00
8. Total	01	00	00	01
9. Performance on this measure	100%	NaN%	NaN%

H. Customer Satisfaction

Satisfaction
Customer Rating of Services	Number of Customers	Percent
Highly satisfied	548	67.24%
Satisfied	56	6.87%
Satisfied somewhat	02	0.25%
Not at all satisfied	03	0.37%
Nonrespondent	206	25.28%
Total Surveyed	815
Response rate %	74.72%

I. Notes:

Device Demonstration

A. Number of Device Demonstrations by Device Type

Type of AT Device / Service	Number of Demonstrations of AT Devices / Services
Vision	49
Hearing	03
Speech Communication	38
Learning, Cognition and Developmental	36
Mobility, Seating and Positioning	10
Daily Living	27
Environmental Adaptations	02
Vehicle Modification and Transportation	00
Computers and Related	16
Recreation, Sports and Leisure	08
Total # of Device Demonstrations	189

B. Types of Participants

Type of Participant	Decision-Makers	Other Participants	Total
Individuals with Disabilities	124	34	158
Family Members, Guardians, and Authorized Representatives	32	75	107
Representatives of Education	16	30	46
Representatives of Employment	00	01	01
Health, Allied Health, Rehabilitation	14	22	36
Representative of Community Living	03	16	19
Representative of Technology	00	01	01
Total	189	179	368

C. Number of Referrals

Referrals
Type of Entity	Number of Referrals
Funding Source (non-AT program)	04
Service Provider	05
Vendor	12
Repair Service	00
Others	04
Total	25

D. Anecdote

Six-year-old J.A.’s support team worked hard to find a way for her to communicate, but Cerebral Palsy and Microencephaly made it impossible for her to navigate communication devices and apps. Finally, her speech therapist suggested their last hope was an eye-gaze system. An eye-gaze system requires the user to look at a screen, selecting or ‘clicking’ by holding their gaze on a word or picture. These systems are expensive, and they’re not always covered by insurance or Medicaid. Which is why J.A.’s mom, M., pinned her hopes on MonTECH. “These devices are way too expensive to buy without trying,” she explains. “Our insurance wouldn’t cover it either – it was a plan exclusion.” So J.A.tried two systems through a MonTECH demo with 1:1 support. She borrowed the Tobii Pilot to practice at home, and soon proved J.A.could use an eye-gaze system to make choices and requests! Her successful trial enabled the family and SLP to successfully campaign for an eye-gaze system for J.A. “Right now, (her communication) is a work in progress,” M. says. “But it’s going to be super nice. This will help her be less frustrated and upset, and it will help us better understand her needs. It will make her whole life better.”

young girl with brown hair smiles at camera while mom looks at her, also smiling, in the background

Impact Area Education Employment Community Living

E. Performance Measures

Performance Measures
Response	Primary Purpose for Which AT is Needed			Total
Response	Education	Employment	Community Living	Total
Decided that AT device/service will meet needs	50	13	74	137
Decided that an AT device/ service will not meet needs	00	00	01	01
Subtotal	50	13	75	138
Have not made a decision	20	02	29	51
Subtotal	70	15	104	189
Nonrespondent	00	00	00	00
Total	70	15	104	189
Performance on this measure	71.43%	86.67%	72.12%

F. Customer Satisfaction

Satisfaction
Customer Rating of Services	Number of Customers	Percent
Highly satisfied	330	89.67%
Satisfied	07	1.9%
Satisfied somewhat	01	0.27%
Not at all satisfied	00	0%
Nonrespondent	30	8.15%
Total	368
Response rate %	91.85%

G. Notes:

Overall Performance Measures

Overall Acquisition Performance Measure

Acquisition Performance Measures
Response	Primary Purpose for Which AT is Needed			Total
Response	Education	Employment	Community Living	Total
1. Could only afford the AT through the AT program.	52	00	152	204
2. AT was only available through the AT program.	18	03	216	237
3. AT was available through other programs, but the system was too complex or the wait time too long.	00	00	00	00
4. Subtotal	70	03	368	441
5. None of the above	00	00	00	00
6. Subtotal	70	03	368	441
7. Nonrespondent	00	00	00	00
8. Total	70	03	368	441
9. Performance on this measure	100%	100%	100%	100%
ACL Performance Measure				85%
Met/Not Met				Met

Overall Access Performance Measure

Access Performance Measures
Response	Primary Purpose for Which AT is Needed			Total
Response	Education	Employment	Community Living	Total
Decided that AT device/service will meet needs	178	26	380	584
Decided that an AT device/ service will not meet needs	17	05	49	71
Subtotal	195	31	429	655
Have not made a decision	57	03	79	139
Subtotal	252	34	508	794
Nonrespondent	61	06	142	209
Total	313	40	650	1,003
Performance on this measure	77.38%	91.18%	84.45%	82.49%
ACL Performance Measure				90%
Met/Not Met				Not Met

Overall Satisfaction Rating

Customer Rating of Services	Percent	ACL Target	Met/Not Met
Highly satisfied and satisfied	99.57%	95%	Met
Response Rate	85.46%	90%	Not Met

Training

A. Training Participants: Number and Types of Participants; Geographical Distribution

Training by Participant Type
Type of Participant	Number
Individuals with Disabilities	267
Family Members, Guardians and Authorized Representatives	70
Representatives of Education	305
Representatives of Employment	27
Rep Health, Allied Health, and Rehabilitation	305
Representatives of Community Living	237
Representatives of Technology	00
Unable to Categorize	182
TOTAL	1,393

Geographic Distribution of Participants
Metro	Non Metro	Unknown	TOTAL
682	711	00	1,393

B. Training Topics

Trainings by Topic
Primary Topic of Training	Participants
AT Products/Services	664
AT Funding/Policy/ Practice	111
Combination of any/all of the above	461
Information Technology/Telecommunication Access	22
Transition	135
Total	1,393

C. Description of Training Activities

Describe innovative one high-impact assistance training activity conducted during the reporting period:

Helping Montanans who are nonspeaking or struggle to speak means supporting their therapists, educators, direct support staff, and family members. Building up Montana’s capacity to serve those with communication challenges is one of our highest priorities; we work steadily on that goal by continually updating our inventory of communication devices, funding professional development for team members, and hosting internationally recognized AAC (augmentative and alternative communication) experts at MontCOMM. MontCOMM ’23 was our fifth annual conference focused solely on AAC. We ensure MontCOMM is as accessible as possible by providing an excellent remote-attendance experience. In addition to knowledgeable speakers Ashley Larisey and Sarah Gregory, Montanan Isaac Baldry’s interview with national advocate Jordyn Zimmerman (both AAC users) made a powerful impression; 111 attendees offered nothing but positive feedback and gratitude for a quality learning experience in Montana’s own back yard.

Briefly describe one training activity related to transition conducted during the reporting period:

On a hot Friday in July, MonTECH attempted to harness the energy of about 30 high school students from Missoula and Browning. The students were participating in the TRIO Upward Bound Summer Academy. Wanting to offer more than a tour and play time, Team MonTECH carefully planned five work stations. Each station featured assistive tech in a single category: alternative computer access, tools for dyslexia, telepresence, math practice via interactive projector, and adaptive recreation. With small-group instruction and hands-on practice, students left each station with new skills and a better understanding of how MonTECH can help support their future success.

Briefly describe one training activity related to Information and Communication Technology accessibility:

As faculty with the Utah Regional LEND (Leadership & Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities) program, MonTECH's AT Program Director has huge admiration for the work that goes in to weekly seminars to 40+ trainees across 5 states and presented by over 20 faculty members. The coordination this takes is remarkable. But last year, she noticed that many of the PowerPoints during didactic sessions and Word documents shared as resources did not meet basic accessibility standards. She arranged for MonTECH's ATP to do an hour long training on accessible documents to the URLEND faculty and now the presentations to trainees are much more inclusive. Faculty was appreciative, letting MonTECH's Program Director know that they have even shared the information with other colleagues in their respective departments.

D. IT/Telecommunications Training Performance Measure

IT/Telecommunications Training Performance Measure
Outcome/Result From IT/Telecommunications Training Received	Number
IT and Telecommunications Procurement or Dev Policies	22
Training or Technical Assistance will be developed or implemented	00
No known outcome at this time	00
Nonrespondent	00
Total	22
Performance Measure Percentage	100%
ACL Target Percentage	70%
Met/Not Met	Met

E. Notes:

Technical Assistance

A. Frequency and Nature of Technical Assistance

Technical Assistance by Recipient Type
Education	04%
Employment	07%
Health, Allied Health, Rehabilitation	15%
Community Living	61%
Technology (IT, Telecom, AT)	13%
Total	100%

B. Description of Technical Assistance

Describe Innovative one high-impact assistance activity that is not related to transition:

Our partners at the University of Montana recognize MonTECH as a go-to resource for accessibility. For example, the Center for Children, Families, and Workforce Development approached MonTECH while they were developing an online curriculum to train Community Health Workers in Montana. MonTECH staff was able to sit on their advisory council during all phases of development and provided an extensive accessibility review of their online, interactive, 6-module curriculum. This review included technical recommendations by our Accessible Media Specialist, as well as review by a self-advocate for disability-friendly language and examples. We appreciate the dedication of the Center to ensure an inclusive experience for future Community Health Workers.

Breifly describe one technical assistance activity related to transition conducted during the reporting period:

C. Notes:

Public Awareness

Public Awareness Activities

Public Awareness Narratives

Describe in detail at least one and no more than two innovative or high-impact public awareness activities conducted during this reporting period. Highlight the content/focus of the awareness information shared, the mechanism used to disseminate or communicate the awareness information, the numbers and/or types of individuals reached, and positive outcomes resulting from the activity. If quantative numbers are available regarding the reach of the activity, please provide those: however, quantative data is not required.

1. MonTECH was delighted to contribute equipment to the third year of Empower Spinal Cord Injury, Inc., a camp for adults from across the country living with a spinal cord injury. Camp OT and ATP, Amy Connolly, designed an Adaptation Station for campers to get hands-on experience with adaptive equipment and assistive tech. She borrowed 120 pieces of MonTECH equipment to help give campers options for work, home, and outdoor recreation. It was a great week featuring yoga, cycling, fishing and floating in addition to learning, and our team was proud to play a part.

2. After winding up the tight and twisting highway alongside Glacier park, it’s a pleasure to emerge onto the windswept plains that are home to Browning – the only incorporated town on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. MonTECH was pleased to be part of the community’s Special Needs Awareness Day. Over 100 early childhood educators plus some family members spent the day taking classes and learning about resources like MonTECH.

Information And Assistance

Information And Assistance Activities by Recipient
Types of Recipients	AT Device/ Service	AT Funding	Total
Individuals with Disabilities	383	04	387
Family Members, Guardians and Authorized Representatives	349	08	357
Representative of Education	58	01	59
Representative of Employment	19	00	19
Representative of Health, Allied Health, and Rehabilitation	195	02	197
Representative of Community Living	42	02	44
Representative of Technology	08	00	08
Unable to Categorize	06	00	06
Total	1,060	17	1,077

Referral Types:

This year, MonTECH eliminated all barriers to accessing our program – all barriers within our control, that is. Two obstacles that seemed immoveable: the sheer distance and daunting weather conditions consumers from rural areas must navigate to pick up large equipment. But we love a challenge and launched MonTREK, a U-Haul road trip with scheduled stops along the way for picking up or dropping off equipment. We found four community hosts: Cabinet Peaks Clinic in Libby, Logan Health in Kalispell, The Blackfeet Early Childhood Center in Browning, and Benefis Women’s and Children’s Center in Great Falls. Eight hundred miles and four days later, the U-Haul pulled back up to MonTECH with lots of equipment to unload. We’re currently assessing the feasibility of similar TREKS through eastern and central Montana, but this initial run was a fun and informative start that improved referrals from new partners who were more invested in MonTECH after seeing the equipment "in real life" outside our two offices. Additional focused attention on the assisted living communities near our offices has meant an increase in older adults accessing MonTECH for loans, appointments, and tours. We saw an increase in referrals after tabling at both the Montana Healthcare Association and the Montana Association of Rehabilitation conferences, two events we have not had a presence at before. Finally, our AT Ambassadors funded through the Public Health Workforce grant have provided expansive outreach in three different communities and with three different populations (older adults, mental health, and farmers/ranchers with disabilities). All this is on top of our regular targeted outreach to schools, clinics, hospitals, senior centers, at conferences, with early childhood providers, and more.

Referral Sources:

This year, we have seen an increase in referrals across many different areas. For example, our relationship with the Developmental Disabilities Program (DDP) at the state has been strengthened through our participation in joint meetings with the Family to Family Health Information Center (F2F). That relationship led to presenting to the first DDP conference in years with attendees represented from all five regions in the state. That presentation has in turn led to increased loan and appointment requests from the adult DD community. The F2F is also constantly referring to MonTECH and includes information about us when they table events statewide. After purchasing and promoting AT for individuals with memory loss and their caregivers, we've served more people in Hospice care than ever before. Both our Missoula and Billings offices have seen an increase in referrals from our partners at Vocational Rehab. This is after extensive outreach to their offices across the state, presenting at their staff meetings, and sitting on one of their statewide councils. Additionally, our strong partnership with various DME providers across the state has led to an increase in referrals for non-seating/positioning/mobility AT for their clients.

Notes:

Coordination/Collaboration and State Improvement Outcomes

Overview of Coordination/Collaboration Activities

Coordination/Collaboration activities are not required. You may report up to two MAJOR coordination/collaboration activities for this reporting period. How many will you be reporting?

A. Coordination/Collaboration

1. As concisely as possible, describe the partnership initiative. What activities/services were provided? Who are the major collaborating organizations and what is their role? Who is served/benefited? What funding was used to implement the initiative?

The Mansfield Center on the University of Montana campus reached out to MonTECH about helping host professional fellows during their Young Southeast Asia Leadership Initiative visits. They had both short-term fellows in town for two weeks and long-term fellows here for four weeks. MonTECH coordinated a three-hour training and discussion session for 16 short-term fellows. These civic professionals arrived from Brunei, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. They were attentive and engaged learners who were amazed by the amount of AT in our inventory. In discussion after the training, most trainees acknowledged that they see little to no opportunities for people with disabilities to access AT and they were eager to bring back information to their home country about how AT can impact the lives of people with disabilities. Two months later, MonTECH helped host a long-term fellow from Indonesia, Tia, during her 4-week fellowship. She jumped right in, sitting in on demos, meeting with partners, sharing her experience, and learning all about MonTECH services so she could take the info home to Indonesia. This experience broadened our knowledge of AT access in southeast Asia and provided cross-cultural sharing about disability challenges and successes in our respective countries. The State Department funded the experiences of all the fellows.

2. As concisely as possible, describe the measurable results of the initiative and any lessons learned. How did access to AT change as a result of the coordination/collaboration/partnership? How did awareness of AT change as a result of the partnership? How did the reach of the state AT program change as a result of the partnership? What made the partnership successful? What would you change or wish you had done differently? Provided funding/resources are available, will the initiative continue or is this a one-time event? What advice would you give for replication of the initiative? Please include URL for initiative if available.

All the fellows, especially the long-term fellow, planned to share about AT in their home countries. Tia from Indonesia is planning a 2-day training for educators and government officials in her hometown, focused on improving awareness of AT and inclusive practices for education and employment. If funding comes through MonTECH's Program Director will travel to Indonesia to help with Tia's presentation. This 2-way exchange helps strengthen people-to-people connections, but also helps build young leaders into global problem solvers.

3. What focus areas(s) were addressed by the initiative?

Education; Employment; Community Participation and Integration; Recreation / Leisure; Health; Aging;

4. What AT Act authorized activity(s) were addressed?

Public Awareness;

A.2 Coordination/Collaboration (Entry 2)

This year, MonTECH deepened its relationship with the Cutting Fences Foundation, a non-profit serving farmers, ranchers, and veterans with disabilities in Montana. The Cutting Fences Foundation founder and director has been a MonTECH champion throughout her career, but this year also joined the team part-time as an AT Ambassador. In that role, she promotes MonTECH services and equipment while working conferences, events, and activities in agriculture-focused settings. This allows a population that MonTECH has not reached in the past to be served in new and innovative ways. Additionally, Cutting Fences Foundation has received grants to purchase large equipment most suitable to farmers and ranches, including an Action Trackchair, a TerrainHopper, and a Freedom Trax. These pieces of equipment are cross-promoted on the MonTECH website so all consumers can have access.

MonTECH alone did not have the funds for any of these large pieces of equipment, nor a place to store them or a way to deliver them. This connection with the Cutting Fences Foundation has completely broadened our ability to provide access to these devices, as well as to promote services to new populations across the state. Through a memorandum of understanding, Cutting Fences Foundation benefits from use of the MonTECH website and loan agreement for coordinating all loans of their equipment and MonTECH beneftis from outreach to agriculture-related settings and populations. This partnership has been nothing but positive and both parties are excited to have it grow and deepen even more in the future.

3. What focus areas(s) were addressed by the initiative?

Education; Employment; Community Participation and Integration; Recreation / Leisure; Health; Aging; Veterans;

4. What AT Act authorized activity(s) were addressed?

Device Loan; Demonstration; Information & Assistance; Public Awareness;

Overview of State Improvement Activities

State improvement outcomes are not required. You may report up to two MAJOR state improvement outcomes for this reporting period. How many will you be reporting?

B. State Improvements

1. In one or two sentences, describe the outcome. Be as specific as possible about exactly what changed during this reporting period as a result of the AT program's initiative.

The Children's Special Health Services division of Montana's Department of Public Health and Human Services continued their support of MonTECH through additional funding for pediatric mobility and positioning equipment. We received $57,000 worth of equipment now housed at MonTECH but accessible to their clients across the state for loan and demonstration.

2. In one or two sentences, describe the written policies, practices, and procedures that have been developed and implemented as a result of the AT program's initiative. Include information about how to obtain the full documents, such as a Web site address or e-mail address of a contact person, but do not include the full documents here. (If there are no written polices, practices and procedures, explain why.)

CSHS and MonTECH developed a contract for spending the funds and the item listings on the MonTECH website include an attribution to CSHS. A member of MonTECH serves on the CSHS funding committee to share info about items that are used, as well as future items that might need to be purchased with additional funding

3. What was the primary area of impact for this state improvement outcome?

Health, Allied Health, Rehabilitation

B.2 State Improvements

1. In one or two sentences, describe the outcome. Be as specific as possible about exactly what changed during this reporting period as a result of the AT program's initiative.

For the first time in many years, MonTECH received funding from our state education agency, the Office of Public Instruction (OPI). During the first round of funding received in April 2023, the money needed to be spent down very quickly. MonTECH purchased 100 new items that will be loaned only to public school staff and students and purchased 900 additional items that will go into "AT Kits" for rural schools. The 2nd round of funding received in August 2023 is being used to hire a dedicated staff person to facilitate rural school outreach and delivery of both these kits and AT-focused presentations.

We are developing several marketing materials and policies for this brand new collaboration between MonTECH and OPI. Additional information can be obtained by emailing molly.kimmel@mso.umt.edu.

3. What was the primary area of impact for this state improvement outcome?

Education

Additional And Leveraged Funds

A. Leveraged Funding for State Plan Activities

Fund Source	Amount	Use of Funds	Data Reported
Public/State Agency	$57,000	Device Loan	False
Public/State Agency	$150,000	Device Loan	True
Federal	$17,782	Public Awareness, I&A	True
Public/State Agency	$75,000	Training	False
Federal	$1,478	Device Loan	True
	Amount: $301,260

For any leveraged funding reported above for which data could not be reported, please describe the extenuating circumstances that precluded data from being reported and efforts to remediate the situation in future reporting periods.

The $57,000 from our Children Special Health Services was awarded very late in the fiscal year and all items purchased with those funds were bought during the last week of September. Any loans happening with that equipment will be reflected in next year's data. The $75,000 from OPI was also provided later in the fiscal year. We were able to hire someone who will be paid through these funds, but the trainings will all occur in FY '24.

B. Public Health Workforce Grant Award

All Section 4 AT Act grantees were awarded $80,000.00 in supplimental Public Health Workforce grant funding to increase the full-time equivalent (FTE) of staff withing the disability and aging network for public health professionals. Please document the status of these funds below.

The status of these funds at the end of the FY23 (9/30/2023) is as follows: (Check one) We did not utilize this funding in FY23 and wish to decline the funds in the future
We did not expend any of this funding in FY23, but plan to expend funding in FY24 and/or FY25
We expended some of all of this funding in FY23 (please complete the section below)

Please report the amount expended (drawn down and liquidated) in this reporting period, FY23:

$17,782.00

Please report the number of Full Time Equivalent (FTE) positions this funding supported by type. This can be a direct employee FTE or contractual FTE.

Type of FTE Position	FTE Positions (0.01 to 9.99)
Assistive Technology Specialist	0.00
Information and Assistance Specialist	0.00
Outreach and Awareness Specialist	0.65
Training Specialist	0.00
Health Care Professional (includes PT, OT, SLP)	0.13
Accessibility Expert	0.00
Policy Expert	0.00
Technology Expert (Digital Divide, Mobile Tech)	0.00
Program Manager	0.00
Other positions needed to advance public health and prevent, prepare for, and respond to COVid-19 (describe with narrative field required)	0.00

Please describe the activities of the above FTE and how such activities advance public health.

This funding was spread between 3 part-time employees who all were hired as "AT Ambassadors". One primarily focused on increasing public health awareness re: AT for the aging population, one for mental health, and one for farmers/ranchers with disabilities.

C. Describe any unique issues with your data in this section (e.g., the reason why you were unable to report the number of individuals served with additional or leveraged funds).

N/A

Center for Assistive Technology Act Data Assistance . Saved: Tue Feb 13 2024 14:09:46 GMT-0600 (Central Standard Time)