National Assistive Technology Act Data System

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

Lead Agency

Implementing Entity

Program Director and Other Contacts

Person Responsible for completing this form if other than Program Director

Certifying Representative

2. Income of Applicants to Whom Loans Were Made

3. Loan Type

4. Interest Rates

5. Types and Dollar Amounts of AT Financed

6. Defaults

Activity 1

2. Geographic Distribution, Number of Individuals Who Acquired AT Devices and Services and Number for whom Performance Measure Data are Collected

3. Types and Dollar Amounts of AT Funded

Activity 2

2. Geographic Distribution, Number of Individuals Who Acquired AT Devices and Services and Number for whom Performance Measure Data are Collected

3. Types and Dollar Amounts of AT Funded

G. Notes:

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

G. Notes:

I. Notes:

G. Notes:

C. Description of Training Activities

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

Mark McCabe, Director of Assistive Technology Services early in the COVID-19 Pandemic conducted a a hybrid training of 14 individuals made up of the student, family and local district personnel that attended either in-person or via Zoom to learn how to use and integrate Read and Write Gold and Voice Dream and features built into Chrome. As a result of the training the district implemented Read and Write Gold district wide for all students.

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

Susy Woods, Policy and Education Liaison was asked to conduct a training on the legal obligations for schools for students who use AT especially as they transition. Seventy district personnel participated in the training learning their responsibility to ensure students have access to AT timely in their school experience and how to ensure that they are fully trained on the AT as they transition to employment, higher education or community living.

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

In early 2021 the City of Normal Illinois reached out to IATP to have their city website audited. They had been working with the Life- CIL in Bloomington on the steps to take to make the city more accessible. A staff member of Life-CIL, Conan Calhoun suggested they work with IATP on their website accessibility since we offered a free 3 page auditing service. The city had hired a Director of Communications & Community Relations to facility there website accessibility. The Director reached out and we completed a website audit for the city. During the review of the audit of the website it was discovered that most of there public facing forms and documents were not accessible. The city of Normal had received some previous complaints about this and were very willing to participate in a training. The Director coordinated the head of each office of the city to participate in a train the trainer style How to Make Accessible Document’s training. This was a very successful training and IATP has continued to provide help and knowledge to Normal as they work through the massive changes they are implementing for the individuals with disabilities in there city.

E. Notes:

B. Description of Technical Assistance

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

During the height of the COVID-19 Pandemic IATP was approached by one of the Area Agency's on Aging (AAA) to help them create a Lunch and Learn program so that they could engage the seniors most affected by being isolated. IATP outsourced 25 of it's Reuse iPads to the AAA, created a training for the AAA staff on the iPad and the apps and provided them with the data collection form for Reuse. The AAA has been able to loan the iPads to 25 seniors for each of their Lunch and Learn series.

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

IATP approached the Illinois Department on Aging when they were applying for CARES Act funding to combat social isolation. IATP proposed to share our Fast Track equipment purchasing program details with IDoA so that they could quickly ramp up an AT/ICT equipment purchasing program. IDoA instead asked IATP to create a program geared at getting AT/ICT and Internet service into the hands of seniors, individuals receiving services through Vocational Rehabilitation and Developmental Disabilities. IATP provided the IDoA technical assistance in designing and implementing the Illinois CARE Connections Program where we were about to get 3,307 AT/ICT bundles to those most affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

C. Notes:

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. IATP was asked to partner with the Illinois Department on Aging and the Illinois Department of Human Services, Divisions of Vocational Rehabilitation Services and Developmental Disabilities to create and implement the Illinois CARE Connections Program. IATP created the training materials, referral form, data collection system and purchased, inventoried and shipped all AT and Internet Hot Spots to the 3,307 referred participants at risk of social isolation and loneliness as a result of the Pandemic. IDoA conducted several webinars with provider agencies which featured IATP and the ICC program, IDoA and IDHS released several Press Releases on the availability of the program and as a result IATP was contacted by a local news station who conducting an in-depth interview on IATP and the ICC Program which aired on multiple stations.

2.

Notes:

Overview of Coordination/Collaboration Activities

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 outcome is the enactment of House Bill 2616, now Public Act 102-0660, which amends Illinois law to allow State agencies to acquire assistive technology to address the needs of employees, customers, and job applicants without requiring compliance with the Illinois Procurement Code. This will allow agencies acquire AT without unnecessary delays.

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.)

The written policy currently is the new Public Act, which is available at www.ilga.gov by searching for HB 2616, 102nd General Assembly. Each State agency is expected to implement the new law as written and may adopt its own guidelines and procedures.

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

Employment