National Assistive Technology Act Data System

Annual Progress Report - Full Report

Wyoming 2020

General Information

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

State AT Program Title:
Wyoming Assistive Technology Resources
State AT Program Title:
State AT Program URL
http://www.uwyo.edu/wind/watr/
Mailing Address:
1000 E. University Avenue, Dept. 4298
City:
Laramie
State:
Wyoming
Zip Code:
82071
Program Email:
watr@uwyo.edu
Phone:
(888) 989-9463
TTY:
(307) 766-2720

Lead Agency

Agency Name:
Wyoming Institute for Disabilities
Mailing Address:
1000 E. University Avenue, Dept. 4298
City:
Laramie
State:
Wyoming
Zip Code:
82071
Program URL:
http://www.uwyo.edu/wind/index.html

Implementing Entity

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):
Root-Elledge, Sandra
Title:
Executive Director
Phone:
(307) 766-2764
E-mail:
sre@uwyo.edu
Program Director at Lead Agency (last, first):
Title:
Phone:
E-mail:
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):
Knopf, Gisele
Title:
Assistive Technology Program Specialist
Phone:
(307) 766-2051
E-mail:
gknopf@uwyo.edu

Certifying Representative

Name (last, first):
Grant Hulme, Diana
Title:
Assoc, V.P. Research & Economic Dev Ofc
Phone:
(307) 766-6811
E-mail:
dhulme@uwyo.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
Area of Residence Total
Metro
RUCC 1-3
Non-Metro
RUCC 4-9
Approved Loan made 03 02 05
Approved Not made 00 00 00
Rejected 01 00 01
Total 04 02 06

2. Income of Applicants to Whom Loans Were Made

Lowest/Highest Incomes
Lowest Income: $11,865 Highest Income: $116,884

Average Income
Sum of Incomes Loans Made Average Annual Income
$281,922 05 $56,384

Number and Percentage of Loans Made to Applicants by Income Range
Income Ranges Total
$15,000
or Less
$15,001-
$30,000
$30,001-
$45,000
$45,001-
$60,000
$60,001-
$75,000
$75,001
or More
Number of Loans 01 01 00 01 01 01 05
Percentage of Loans 20% 20% 0% 20% 20% 20% 100%

3. Loan Type

Loan Type
Type of Loan Number of Loans Percentage of loans
Revolving Loans 00 0%
Partnership Loans
Without interest buy-down or loan guarantee 00 0%
With interest buy-down only 05 100%
With loan guarantee only 00 0%
With both interest buy-down and loan guarantee 00 0%
Total 05 100%

Loan Type Summary
Type of Loan Number of Loans Dollar Value of Loans
Revolving Loans 00 $0
Partnership Loans 05 $58,565
Total 05 $58,565

4. Interest Rates

Interest Rates
Lowest 4%
Highest 4%

Interest Rate Summary
Sum of Interest Rates Number of Loans Made Average Interest Rate
20 05 4%

Number of Loans Made by Interest Rate
Interest Rate Number of loans
0.0% to 2.0% 00
2.1% to 4.0% 05
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 05

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 04 $8,990
Speech communication 00 $0
Learning, cognition, and developmental 00 $0
Mobility, seating and positioning 00 $0
Daily living 00 $0
Environmental adaptations 02 $33,000
Vehicle modification and transportation 01 $16,575
Computers and related 00 $0
Recreation, sports, and leisure 00 $0
Total 07 $58,565

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? 00


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? 00

D. Anecdote

A Cheyenne resident who is a senior and on a fixed income obtained a WyTAP loan to help purchase hearing aids. The family is extremely happy with this program and the extended payback period helped them in their current financial situation.

Impact Area

Impact Area

E. Performance Measures

Performance Measures
Response Primary Purpose for Which AT is Needed Total
Education Employment Community Living
1. Could only afford the AT through the AT program. 00 00 02 02
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 03 03
4. Subtotal 00 00 05 05
5. None of the above 00 00 00 00
6. Subtotal 00 00 05 05
7. Nonrespondent 00 00 00 00
8. Total 00 00 05 05
9. Performance on this measure NaN% NaN% 100%

F. Customer Satisfaction

Satisfaction
Customer Rating of Services Number of Customers Percent
Highly satisfied 05 100%
Satisfied 00 0%
Satisfied somewhat 00 0%
Not at all satisfied 00 0%
Nonrespondent 00 0%
Total Surveyed 05
Response rate % 100%

G. Notes:

Reutilization

A. Number of Recipients of Reused Devices

Activity Number of Individuals Receiving a Device from Activity
A. Device Exchange 01
B. Device Refurbish/Repair - Reassign and/or Open Ended Loan 33
C. Total 34

Performance Measure
D. Device Exchange - Excluded from Performance Measure 00
E. Reassignment/Refurbishment and Repair and Open Ended Loans - 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 05
F. Number of Individuals Included in Performance Measures 29

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

The individuals who completed the WATR survey confirmed that these purchases were due to an obligation to provide assistive technology.

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 01 $100 $0 $100
Daily Living 01 $2,800 $0 $2,800
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 02 $2,900 $0 $2,900

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 08 $578 $95 $483
Hearing 01 $60 $10 $50
Speech Communication 05 $1,154 $30 $1,124
Learning, Cognition and Developmental 02 $160 $20 $140
Mobility, Seating and Positioning 16 $5,378 $10 $5,368
Daily Living 05 $377 $50 $327
Environmental Adaptations 01 $189 $0 $189
Vehicle Modification & Transportation 00 $0 $0 $0
Computers and Related 03 $105 $5 $100
Recreation, Sports and Leisure 00 $0 $0 $0
Total 41 $8,001 $220 $7,781

D. Anecdote

A Laramie resident with light and color eye sensitivity issues and on a fixed income purchased a Kindle Paperwhite tablet that was offered through the WATR reuse program. "This screen is better for my eyes than all of the newer screens I have used. It will be very helpful. I am thankful it was available." The Kindle Paperwhite tablet uses front light technology that helps reduce eye strain.

Impact Area

E. Performance Measures

Performance Measures
Response Primary Purpose for Which AT is Needed Total
Education Employment Community Living
1. Could only afford the AT through the AT program. 03 00 06 09
2. AT was only available through the AT program. 06 00 11 17
3. AT was available through other programs, but the system was too complex or the wait time too long. 01 00 02 03
4. Subtotal 10 00 19 29
5. None of the above 00 00 00 00
6. Subtotal 10 00 19 29
7. Nonrespondent 00 00 00 00
8. Total 10 00 19 29
9. Performance on this measure 100% NaN% 100%

F. Customer Satisfaction

Satisfaction
Customer Rating of Services Number of Customers Percent
Highly satisfied 33 97.06%
Satisfied 01 2.94%
Satisfied somewhat 00 0%
Not at all satisfied 00 0%
Nonrespondent 00 0%
Total Surveyed 34
Response rate % 100%

G. Notes:

Due to the COVID 19 pandemic, our numbers had decreased significantly. Our collaboration with the Anna Maria Weston Therapeutic Lending Library in Lander, Wyoming represents a significant drop in reuse devices. Anna Maria Weston Therapeutic Lending is located at the Wyoming Life Resource Center, which was closed for the majority of the 2020 fiscal year due to renovations, construction, and COVID precautions.

Device Loan

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) 120
Serve as loaner during service repair or while waiting for funding 02
Provide an accommodation on a short-term basis for a time-limited event/situation 12
Conduct training, self-education or other professional development activity 19
Total 153

B. Short-Term Device Loan by Type of Borrower

LOANS By Borrower Type
Type of Individual or Entity Number of Device Borrowers
Individuals with Disabilities 105
Family Members, Guardians, and Authorized Representatives 04
Representative of Education 30
Representative of Employment 00
Representatives of Health, Allied Health, and Rehabilitation 07
Representatives of Community Living 00
Representatives of Technology 07
Total 153

C. Length of Short-Term Device Loans

Length of Short-Term Device Loan in Days 42

D. Types of Devices Loaned

Types of Devices Loaned
Type of AT Device Number
Vision 59
Hearing 04
Speech Communication 122
Learning, Cognition and Developmental 87
Mobility, Seating and Positioning 12
Daily Living 21
Environmental Adaptations 03
Vehicle Modification and Transportation 00
Computers and Related 103
Recreation, Sports and Leisure 10
Total 421

E. Anecdote

A Laramie County resident borrowed our Servox Elecrolarynx for a short-term loan. "This loan was invaluable as it allowed me to maintain independence during the rather lengthy process to get my personal device repaired."

Impact Area

F. Access Performance Measures

Access Performance Measures
Response Primary Purpose for Which AT is Needed Total
Education Employment Community Living
Decided that AT device/service will meet needs 43 14 28 85
Decided that an AT device/ service will not meet needs 15 02 15 32
Subtotal 58 16 43 117
Have not made a decision 03 00 00 03
Subtotal 61 16 43 120
Nonrespondent 00 00 00 00
Total 61 16 43 120
Performance on this measure 95.08% 100% 100%

G. Acquisition Performance Measures

Acquisition Performance Measures
Response Primary Purpose for Which AT is Needed Total
Education Employment Community Living
1. Could only afford the AT through the AT program. 00 00 02 02
2. AT was only available through the AT program. 23 01 04 28
3. AT was available through other programs, but the system was too complex or the wait time too long. 00 00 03 03
4. Subtotal 23 01 09 33
5. None of the above 00 00 00 00
6. Subtotal 23 01 09 33
7. Nonrespondent 00 00 00 00
8. Total 23 01 09 33
9. Performance on this measure 100% 100% 100%

H. Customer Satisfaction

Satisfaction
Customer Rating of Services Number of Customers Percent
Highly satisfied 141 92.16%
Satisfied 11 7.19%
Satisfied somewhat 01 0.65%
Not at all satisfied 00 0%
Nonrespondent 00 0%
Total Surveyed 153
Response rate % 100%

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 08
Hearing 01
Speech Communication 82
Learning, Cognition and Developmental 15
Mobility, Seating and Positioning 00
Daily Living 14
Environmental Adaptations 00
Vehicle Modification and Transportation 00
Computers and Related 09
Recreation, Sports and Leisure 00
Total # of Devices Demonstrated 129

B. Types of Participants

Demonstrations by Participant Type
Type of Participant Number of Participants in Device Demonstrations
Individuals with Disabilities 73
Family Members, Guardians, and Authorized Representatives 45
Representatives of Education 129
Representatives of Employment 19
Health, Allied Health, Rehabilitation 154
Representative of Community Living 219
Representative of Technology 05
Total 644

C. Number of Referrals

Referrals
Type of Entity Number of Referrals
Funding Source (non-AT program) 00
Service Provider 01
Vendor 00
Repair Service 00
Others 00
Total 01

D. Anecdote

Students enrolled in a University of Wyoming's Special Education Master's Degree class (EDEX5250) are required to join a WATR Open Lab session during the summer to learn about assistive technology devices and services available to Wyoming residents. One student wrote, "It was really wonderful! I am going to share some of these ideas with the rest of my team in preschool. Very interesting to learn about the devices for learning, communicating, and daily skills."

Impact Area

E. Performance Measures

Performance Measures
Response Primary Purpose for Which AT is Needed Total
Education Employment Community Living
Decided that AT device/service will meet needs 107 04 17 128
Decided that an AT device/ service will not meet needs 00 01 00 01
Subtotal 107 05 17 129
Have not made a decision 00 00 00 00
Subtotal 107 05 17 129
Nonrespondent 00 00 00 00
Total 107 05 17 129
Performance on this measure 100% 100% 100%

F. Customer Satisfaction

Satisfaction
Customer Rating of Services Number of Customers Percent
Highly satisfied 611 94.88%
Satisfied 33 5.12%
Satisfied somewhat 00 0%
Not at all satisfied 00 0%
Nonrespondent 00 0%
Total 644
Response rate % 100%

G. Notes:

Overall Performance Measures

Overall Acquisition Performance Measure

Acquisition Performance Measures
Response Primary Purpose for Which AT is Needed Total
Education Employment Community Living
1. Could only afford the AT through the AT program. 03 00 10 13
2. AT was only available through the AT program. 29 01 15 45
3. AT was available through other programs, but the system was too complex or the wait time too long. 01 00 08 09
4. Subtotal 33 01 33 67
5. None of the above 00 00 00 00
6. Subtotal 33 01 33 67
7. Nonrespondent 00 00 00 00
8. Total 33 01 33 67
9. Performance on this measure 96.97% 100% 75.76% 86.57%
ACL Performance Measure 85%
Met/Not Met Met

Overall Access Performance Measure

Access Performance Measures
Response Primary Purpose for Which AT is Needed Total
Education Employment Community Living
Decided that AT device/service will meet needs 150 18 45 213
Decided that an AT device/ service will not meet needs 15 03 15 33
Subtotal 165 21 60 246
Have not made a decision 03 00 00 03
Subtotal 168 21 60 249
Nonrespondent 00 00 00 00
Total 168 21 60 249
Performance on this measure 98.21% 100% 100% 98.8%
ACL Performance Measure 90%
Met/Not Met Met

Overall Satisfaction Rating

Customer Rating of Services Percent ACL Target Met/Not Met
Highly satisfied and satisfied 99.88% 95% Met
Response Rate 100% 90% Met

Training

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

Training by Participant Type
Type of Participant Number
Individuals with Disabilities 06
Family Members, Guardians and Authorized Representatives 02
Representatives of Education 397
Representatives of Employment 01
Rep Health, Allied Health, and Rehabilitation 00
Representatives of Community Living 21
Representatives of Technology 00
Unable to Categorize 342
TOTAL 769

Geographic Distribution of Participants
Metro Non Metro Unknown TOTAL
124 278 367 769

B. Training Topics

Trainings by Topic
Primary Topic of Training Participants
AT Products/Services 415
AT Funding/Policy/ Practice 00
Combination of any/all of the above 27
Information Technology/Telecommunication Access 15
Transition 312
Total 769

C. Description of Training Activities

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

Terri Wofford, M.S., CCC-SLP, and Shelby Kappler, ATS, provided two virtual trainings at the 2020 Native American Conference on August 6, 2020. One topic was "Affordable "Do-It-Yourself" Assistive Technology Solutions" and the second was "Make and Take-Assistive Technology Solutions in Minutes." Attendees were able to request a completed corrugated iPad stand, which was sent to them free of charge.

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

The bi-weekly UW ECHO in Assistive Technology community of practice provides training and the sharing of best practices for educators and service providers to consider, implement, and evaluate the use of assistive technology to improve outcomes for students. Many of these sessions relate to transition, whether that is from a nursing home to home, early childhood to elementary school or secondary education to post-secondary learning, employment and independent living.

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

A training was provided to Laramie High School, Albany County School Dist. #1, Special Education Department on how to create accessible documents for students with print disabilities.

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 02
Training or Technical Assistance will be developed or implemented 13
No known outcome at this time 00
Nonrespondent 00
Total 15
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 71%
Employment 0%
Health, Allied Health, Rehabilitation 0%
Community Living 29%
Technology (IT, Telecom, AT) 0%
Total 100%

B. Description of Technical Assistance

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

Terri Wofford, M.S., CCC-SLP provided technical assistance in assistive technology, as a panel member, at the November 2019 Wyoming Arts Council Conference in Laramie.

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

Albany County School District #1 Transition Academy students and instructors visited WATR's Open Lab in October 2019 for hands-on demonstrations of devices that students can use in their future employment, post-secondary education or daily living settings. This event also provided educators with the opportunity to ask questions about integrating assistive technology interventions for students and into their curriculum.

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. Wyoming held its first Assistive Technology Awareness Day on May 11th, 2020. Governor Mark Gordon signed Wyoming's AT Awareness Proclamation via videoconferencing technology due to COVID restrictions. WATR and WATR's AT Advisory Council were instrumental in coordinating and spearheading this event. An AT Advisory Council member spoke to the benefits of AT while using her own personal speech-generating device. WATR's AT Advisory Council is eager to make this an annual event and have started planning for next year.

2. September 1, 2020: A Wyoming Technology Access Program (WyTAP) mailing was sent out that included the new WyTAP brochure and a WyTAP magnet to 331 program contacts and a mailing of the new brochure to 271 individuals with disabilities, case providers, banks and federal credit unions to inform.

Information And Assistance

Information And Assistance Activities by Recipient
Types of Recipients AT Device/
Service
AT Funding Total
Individuals with Disabilities 125 13 138
Family Members, Guardians and Authorized Representatives 108 22 130
Representative of Education 370 88 458
Representative of Employment 39 01 40
Representative of Health, Allied Health, and Rehabilitation 112 29 141
Representative of Community Living 191 13 204
Representative of Technology 61 15 76
Unable to Categorize 27 02 29
Total 1,033 183 1,216

Notes:

Our I & A significantly increased this fiscal year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many recipients we provided I & A to were looking for technology to aid students, clients, or themselves in remote learning from home.

State Improvement Outcomes

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? 00

A. 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.


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.)


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


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.


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.)


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

Additional And Leveraged Funds

Additional and Leveraged Funds

Did you have Additional and Leveraged Funding to Report? Yes

A. Leveraged Funding for State Plan Activities

State Plan Activities
Fund Source Amount Use of Funds
Public/State Agency$130,416Technical Assistance
Public/State Agency$6,620Training
Federal$1,232Technical Assistance
Federal$11,690Demonstration
Federal$760Training
Amount: $150,718

B. Leveraged Funding for Activities Not in State Plan (data not previously reported in other activity sections)

Non-State Plan Activities
Fund Source Amount Use of Funds Individuals Served Other Outcome

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).


Center for Assistive Technology Act Data Assistance . Saved: Thu Feb 04 2021 13:35:22 GMT-0600 (Central Standard Time)


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This FY20 State AT Program Annual Progress Report was exported from the National Assistive Technology Act Data System (NATADS). NATADS was developed with partial support from the Center for Assistive Technology Act Data Assistance.