National Assistive Technology Act Data System

Beth first learned about Northwest Access Fund, one of WATAP’s state financing partners, when she was researching funding options for an all-terrain wheelchair. The coronavirus lockdowns were preventing her from getting out and exercising, and her muscles were weakening. Beth missed being able to go on trails with her dogs and she was struggling to engage with her community. Getting the wheelchair as soon as possible was a priority. Beth’s parents considered using their savings to finance the wheelchair, but they were also dealing with the costs of renovating their home and property, purchasing medical equipment, and paying for medical care for both Beth and her father, who had suffered a traumatic brain injury in a fall. “We were really pushed to the limits financially,” Beth’s mother, Elaine, recounts. Beth applied for financing through the Access Fund herself, was approved, and now she’s making payments and building her credit. Beth loves her new all-terrain wheelchair, the GRIT Freedom Chair, and using it regularly has helped her become stronger. Every night, she and her mother take the chair to their local park and Beth walks her dogs for a while before making a few more additional laps in her new wheelchair on her own.

Linda has limited mobility due to pain from chronic back issues and arthritis. She had been using a walker inside her apartment but going beyond her mailbox less than 80 feet away from her front door just using the walker was pretty much impossible. She did not have the stamina to manage even the slight uphill grade to get to the top of the hill to her local grocery store and even if she could, it would be impossible for her to get even halfway across the busy street before the traffic light changed. Linda came to the Meyer Medical Equipment Center, operated by WATAP’s device reuse partner, Bridge Disability Ministries, hoping to find a free or low-cost solution as she was living on a fixed budget and had limited means. After speaking with the Center staff, it was determined that a small electric scooter that was small enough to fit in her apartment but with enough power to get her up the hill to the grocery store might work for her. The scooter was delivered to her home, adjusted it to fit her body, and she was able to give it a try. On the first go, she was able to use the scooter to get up the hill, cross the street at the traffic light with time to spare, and enter the grocery store, which she had been unable to visit for months! She looks forward using the scooter to regain her mobility and independence.

Although helping make informed decisions is a primary purpose of our device lending program, the ability for our deaf-blind clients to maintain connectivity with friends, family, and the community is of paramount importance during these last few years due to the COVID pandemic. And having access to a program where they can have a critical piece of assistive technology when their own is broken is critical. Charlie’s Focus 14 Braille display stopped working unexpectantly. Although he also had a larger Focus 40, it is not a portable option especially for use with his iPhone when he was away from home. He relies heavily on both of his braille displays so being without one would have significantly impacted his ability to communicate. Several months ago, Charlie had borrowed a Focus 40 from WATAP when that device needed a repair, and it was well over a month before it was returned to him. So he turned to us again to borrow a Focus 14 to maintain his ability to communicate using his iPhone. He was grateful to have access to our device lending program as without it, he would have been more isolated and disconnected from his circles of support.

Sid is a 91-year-old retired dairy farmer with macular degeneration, and his eyesight has deteriorated and is poor. He loves to read, both English and Dutch/Friesian, and had mostly lost that ability. Sid was referred to WATAP through our Washington AgrAbility partnership, and he worked with our vision and other assistive technology specialists to find a solution. At first, several handheld and portable devices were demoed that didn’t work as they were too cumbersome or too hard for Sid to operate. We contacted several providers who specialized in vision products directly for additional in-home demonstrations. He was able to try desktop CCTVs and additional devices to find an option that was easy for him to use. He was able to try the devices while performing a variety of tasks and he decided a Merlin Ultra HD CCTV was the best choice based on his desires and device functionality. Sid purchased the CCTV and it was set up in his kitchen where he uses it regularly to read things he couldn’t have read without the device.