National Assistive Technology Act Data System

Annual Progress Report - Full Report

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Georgia 2022

General Information

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

State AT Program Title:

Georgia - Tools for Life

State AT Program Title:

State AT Program URL

http://www.gatfl.gatech.edu/

Mailing Address:

512 Means Street

City:

Atlanta

State:

Georgia

Zip Code:

30318

Program Email:

carolyn.phillips@gatech.edu

Phone:

404-894-8000

TTY:

800-497-8665

Lead Agency

Agency Name:

Georgia Institute of Technology | College of Design | AMAC

Mailing Address:

512 Means Street

City:

Atlanta

State:

Georgia

Zip Code:

30318

Program URL:

http://www.gatfl.gatech.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):

Phillips, Carolyn

Title:

Principal Investigator & Director

Phone:

404-894-8000

E-mail:

carolyn.phillips@gatech.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):

Title:

Phone:

E-mail:

Certifying Representative

Name (last, first):

Brooks, Lakita

Title:

Contracting Officer - Office of Sponsored Project

Phone:

404.385.2080

E-mail:

lakita.brooks@osp.gatech.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?

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?

Activity 1

How would you describe this state financing activity?

Last resort - Activity

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

County of Residence	Individuals Served
A. Metro (RUCC 1-3)	98
B. Non-Metro (RUCC 4-9)	188
C. Total Served	286

Performance Measure
D. Excluded from Performance Measure	0
E. Number of Individuals Included in Performance Measures	286

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

3. Types and Dollar Amounts of AT Funded

Type of AT Device / Service	Number of Devices Funded	Value of AT Provided
Vision	0	$0
Hearing	1	$71
Speech communication	2	$350
Learning, cognition, and developmental	17	$5,300
Mobility, seating and positioning	169	$8,431
Daily living	88	$5,891
Environmental adaptations	3	$378
Vehicle modification and transportation	1	$2,318
Computers and related	4	$460
Recreation, sports, and leisure	1	$342
Total	286	$23,541

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?

Activity 1

How would you describe this state financing activity?

Cooperative Buying Program

2. Geographic Distribution and Number of Individuals Served

County of Residence	Individuals Served
A. Metro (RUCC 1-3)	71
B. Non-Metro (RUCC 4-9)	143
C. Total Served	214

Performance Measure
D. Excluded from Performance Measure	0
E. Number of Individuals Included in Performance Measures	214

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

3. Types and Dollar Amounts of AT Funded

Type of AT Device / Service	Number Provided	Total Estimated Current Retail Purchase Price	Total Price for Which Devices Were Sold	Savings to Consumers
Vision	0	$0	$0	$0
Hearing	0	$0	$0	$0
Speech communication	0	$0	$0	$0
Learning, cognition, and developmental	214	$3,521,491	$425,000	$3,096,491
Mobility, seating and positioning	0	$0	$0	$0
Daily living	0	$0	$0	$0
Environmental adaptations	0	$0	$0	$0
Vehicle modification and transportation	0	$0	$0	$0
Computers and related	0	$0	$0	$0
Recreation, sports, and leisure	0	$0	$0	$0
Total	214	$3,521,491	$425,000	$3,096,491

Activity 2

How would you describe this state financing activity?

Cooperative Buying Program

2. Geographic Distribution and Number of Individuals Served

County of Residence	Individuals Served
A. Metro (RUCC 1-3)	193
B. Non-Metro (RUCC 4-9)	151
C. Total Served	344

Performance Measure
D. Excluded from Performance Measure	0
E. Number of Individuals Included in Performance Measures	344

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

3. Types and Dollar Amounts of AT Funded

Type of AT Device / Service	Number Provided	Total Estimated Current Retail Purchase Price	Total Price for Which Devices Were Sold	Savings to Consumers
Vision	24	$1,311	$520	$791
Hearing	0	$0	$0	$0
Speech communication	0	$0	$0	$0
Learning, cognition, and developmental	320	$61,140	$15,312	$45,828
Mobility, seating and positioning	0	$0	$0	$0
Daily living	0	$0	$0	$0
Environmental adaptations	0	$0	$0	$0
Vehicle modification and transportation	0	$0	$0	$0
Computers and related	0	$0	$0	$0
Recreation, sports, and leisure	0	$0	$0	$0
Total	344	$62,451	$15,832	$46,619

D. Anecdote

Ms. P. came to FODAC when she was living at a homeless shelter and didn’t have any income. She contacted FODAC seeking a rollator. She shared that she was treated so nicely and respectfully. Through the last resort fund she received the rollator she needed and had the registration fee waived since she had no source of income. She now has her own place and an income. She recently sent FODAC a thank you note and a donation to help others get the AT they need through FODAC.

Impact Area Education Employment Community Living

The Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) grew their collaboration with Tools for Life to build upon and successfully grow AT Software Cooperative that so many students can quickly access the needed AT and UDL learning supports to help them accomplish their academic goals. The GaDOE & TFL plan to grow this collaboration further in 2023.

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.	556	72	216	844
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	556	72	216	844
5. None of the above	00	00	00	00
6. Subtotal	556	72	216	844
7. Nonrespondent	00	00	00	00
8. Total	556	72	216	844
9. Performance on this measure	100%	100%	100%

F. Customer Satisfaction

Satisfaction
Customer Rating of Services	Number of Customers	Percent
Highly satisfied	637	75.47%
Satisfied	207	24.53%
Satisfied somewhat	00	0%
Not at all satisfied	00	0%
Nonrespondent	00	0%
Total Surveyed	844
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	10,272
C. Total	10,275

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	10,275

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	03	$389	$10	$379
Learning, Cognition and Developmental	04	$2,156	$75	$2,081
Mobility, Seating and Positioning	00	$0	$0	$0
Daily Living	00	$0	$0	$0
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	07	$2,545	$85	$2,460

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	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	8,194	$7,130,341	$510,350	$6,619,991
Daily Living	2,120	$211,517	$11,430	$200,087
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	10,314	$7,341,858	$521,780	$6,820,078

D. Anecdote

Mr. R’s powerchair enabled him to return to school. He no longer has the arm strength for his manual wheelchair. This chair provided him with independence and allowed him to keep up with his classmates!

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	10,275	10,275
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	10,275	10,275
5. None of the above	00	00	00	00
6. Subtotal	00	00	10,275	10,275
7. Nonrespondent	00	00	00	00
8. Total	00	00	10,275	10,275
9. Performance on this measure	NaN%	NaN%	100%

F. Customer Satisfaction

Satisfaction
Customer Rating of Services	Number of Customers	Percent
Highly satisfied	5,910	57.52%
Satisfied	4,330	42.14%
Satisfied somewhat	15	0.15%
Not at all satisfied	20	0.19%
Nonrespondent	00	0%
Total Surveyed	10,275
Response rate %	100%

G. Notes:

2022 was a year of staff transitioning with 3 full time Tools for Life Team members retiring after years of serving Georgians with disabilities to gain access to and acquisition of assistive technology. In the last months of 2022, Tools for Life hired 2 new Speech language pathologists (SLP) professional staff and 1 new Occupational therapist who has a doctorate (OTD) with AT expertise and started the onboarding process.

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)	358
Serve as loaner during service repair or while waiting for funding	11
Provide an accommodation on a short-term basis for a time-limited event/situation	83
Conduct training, self-education or other professional development activity	92
Total	544

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	240	94	334
Family Members, Guardians, and Authorized Representatives	08	09	17
Representative of Education	67	34	101
Representative of Employment	02	19	21
Representatives of Health, Allied Health, and Rehabilitation	26	05	31
Representatives of Community Living	02	18	20
Representatives of Technology	13	07	20
Total	358	186	544

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	18	03	21
Hearing	03	04	07
Speech Communication	46	78	124
Learning, Cognition and Developmental	99	67	166
Mobility, Seating and Positioning	62	17	79
Daily Living	101	23	124
Environmental Adaptations	01	05	06
Vehicle Modification and Transportation	03	00	03
Computers and Related	65	27	92
Recreation, Sports and Leisure	02	01	03
Total	400	225	625

E. Anecdote

We were able to provide a wheelchair ramp for an individual in hospice care for cancer to be able to be at home with his family during his last days. Without this ramp he wouldn’t have been able to have access to his home and would have had to stay in the facility he was in instead of being able to come home and be with his family as he passed.

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	321	02	02	325
Decided that an AT device/ service will not meet needs	30	01	02	33
Subtotal	351	03	04	358
Have not made a decision	00	00	00	00
Subtotal	351	03	04	358
Nonrespondent	00	00	00	00
Total	351	03	04	358
Performance on this measure	100%	100%	100%

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.	76	19	82	177
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.	04	03	02	09
4. Subtotal	80	22	84	186
5. None of the above	00	00	00	00
6. Subtotal	80	22	84	186
7. Nonrespondent	00	00	00	00
8. Total	80	22	84	186
9. Performance on this measure	100%	100%	100%

H. Customer Satisfaction

Satisfaction
Customer Rating of Services	Number of Customers	Percent
Highly satisfied	357	65.63%
Satisfied	187	34.38%
Satisfied somewhat	00	0%
Not at all satisfied	00	0%
Nonrespondent	00	0%
Total Surveyed	544
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	24
Hearing	02
Speech Communication	41
Learning, Cognition and Developmental	169
Mobility, Seating and Positioning	63
Daily Living	76
Environmental Adaptations	15
Vehicle Modification and Transportation	03
Computers and Related	16
Recreation, Sports and Leisure	07
Total # of Device Demonstrations	416

B. Types of Participants

Type of Participant	Decision-Makers	Other Participants	Total
Individuals with Disabilities	201	31	232
Family Members, Guardians, and Authorized Representatives	36	173	209
Representatives of Education	07	00	07
Representatives of Employment	05	03	08
Health, Allied Health, Rehabilitation	23	03	26
Representative of Community Living	125	70	195
Representative of Technology	19	00	19
Total	416	280	696

C. Number of Referrals

Referrals
Type of Entity	Number of Referrals
Funding Source (non-AT program)	85
Service Provider	08
Vendor	321
Repair Service	02
Others	00
Total	416

D. Anecdote

We spoke with 35 Seniors and presented them with options to help them stay independent in their own houses and to be safe while performing daily functions. We provided indepth customized AT demonstrations for 8 different individuals at the end of the presentation about specific items and features that they wanted more information on. All 8 were able to make decisions about the AT they were shown and they all ended up connecting with vendors to obtain the various AT they need.

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	267	04	113	384
Decided that an AT device/ service will not meet needs	24	01	07	32
Subtotal	291	05	120	416
Have not made a decision	00	00	00	00
Subtotal	291	05	120	416
Nonrespondent	00	00	00	00
Total	291	05	120	416
Performance on this measure	100%	100%	100%

F. Customer Satisfaction

Satisfaction
Customer Rating of Services	Number of Customers	Percent
Highly satisfied	358	51.44%
Satisfied	58	8.33%
Satisfied somewhat	00	0%
Not at all satisfied	00	0%
Nonrespondent	280	40.23%
Total	696
Response rate %	59.77%

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.	632	91	10,573	11,296
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.	04	03	02	09
4. Subtotal	636	94	10,575	11,305
5. None of the above	00	00	00	00
6. Subtotal	636	94	10,575	11,305
7. Nonrespondent	00	00	00	00
8. Total	636	94	10,575	11,305
9. Performance on this measure	99.37%	96.81%	99.98%	99.92%
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	588	06	115	709
Decided that an AT device/ service will not meet needs	54	02	09	65
Subtotal	642	08	124	774
Have not made a decision	00	00	00	00
Subtotal	642	08	124	774
Nonrespondent	00	00	00	00
Total	642	08	124	774
Performance on this measure	100%	100%	100%	100%
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	99.71%	95%	Met
Response Rate	97.73%	90%	Met

Training

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

Training by Participant Type
Type of Participant	Number
Individuals with Disabilities	1,584
Family Members, Guardians and Authorized Representatives	597
Representatives of Education	787
Representatives of Employment	128
Rep Health, Allied Health, and Rehabilitation	1,298
Representatives of Community Living	782
Representatives of Technology	91
Unable to Categorize	00
TOTAL	5,267

Geographic Distribution of Participants
Metro	Non Metro	Unknown	TOTAL
4,108	1,159	00	5,267

B. Training Topics

Trainings by Topic
Primary Topic of Training	Participants
AT Products/Services	377
AT Funding/Policy/ Practice	201
Combination of any/all of the above	4,266
Information Technology/Telecommunication Access	143
Transition	280
Total	5,267

C. Description of Training Activities

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

TFL trained over 416 participants about Assistive Technology, ICT Accessibility and Health Literacy to increase access to health information and increase positive health outcomes for people with disabilities and older adults.

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

In 2021, TFL supported the GATE Conference with the Georgia Department of Education. All of the 382 participants participated AT and Transition sessions. This successful conference continues to grow and we are planning to co-host it in 2022.

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

In the Fall semester of 2022, TFL developed and the Director co-taught the first "Accessibility and Inclusive Design" graduate course at Georgia Tech. It was a big success with 29 students participating and is scheduled to be taught again in 2023-24.

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	29
Training or Technical Assistance will be developed or implemented	114
No known outcome at this time	00
Nonrespondent	00
Total	143
Performance Measure Percentage	100%
ACL Target Percentage	70%
Met/Not Met	Met

E. Notes:

2022 was a year of staff transitioning with 3 full time Tools for Life Team members retiring after years of serving Georgians with disabilities to gain access to and acquisition of assistive technology. In the last months of 2022, Tools for Life hired 2 new SLP professional staff and 1 new Occupational therapist who has a doctorate with AT expertise and started the onboarding process.

Technical Assistance

A. Frequency and Nature of Technical Assistance

Technical Assistance by Recipient Type
Education	31%
Employment	15%
Health, Allied Health, Rehabilitation	17%
Community Living	19%
Technology (IT, Telecom, AT)	18%
Total	100%

B. Description of Technical Assistance

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

Through a growing Partnership, Georgia Tools for Life provided customized TA to the Georgia Department of Education to provide to teachers, therapists, and administrators regarding the provision of assistive technology devices and services for students with disabilities for all of Georgia's 214 school districts and over 287,000 PreK-12 students with disabilities in Georgia with assistive technology services and supports. In 2021-22, 172/214 of Georgia districts received technical assistance on the 462,233 software licenses they received through the contract between Tools for Life & Georgia Department of Education. This assistive technology (AT) / Universal Design for Learning (UDL) software supports students with disabilities in accessing curricular materials and educators in creating the most accessible learning environments for their students. The software provided through this initiative supports reading, writing, math and study skills.

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

TFL continues to provide TA to Division of Aging Services to develop AT policies, practices and an algorithm to assist individuals to successfully transition out of nursing homes.

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. Tools for Life (TFL) collaborated with the Georgia Radio Reading Service (GRRS) to produce 10 podcasts focused on Assistive Technology and Accessibility. This podcast includes information on accessible voting, assistive technology for people with print-related disabilities, accessibility of virtual platforms, AT for entertainment and recreation, and AT for autonomous vehicles, to name a few. Over 10,892 listeners have tuned in to the series. This successful podcast was shared in newsletters, social media platforms and other channels from partners across throughout Georgia and across the country and continues to be utilized by the people that we serve and their supporting professionals.

2. Tools for Life has provided several ICT Accessibility webinars over the last year. With the COVID-19 pandemic, Tools for Life has been able to provide valuable information virtually through different series of webinars to benefit a variety of individuals and professionals. A 10-part ICT Accessibility webinar series was created in 2022 to provide public health professionals information to better serve those Georgians with disabilities who may be affected by the pandemic. The topics include virtual and built environment accessibility, accessible communication primarily for those who are hospitalized or living in long-term care facilities, assistive technology solutions to increase ICT access for individuals with disabilities.

Information And Assistance

Information And Assistance Activities by Recipient
Types of Recipients	AT Device/ Service	AT Funding	Total
Individuals with Disabilities	427	210	637
Family Members, Guardians and Authorized Representatives	310	167	477
Representative of Education	336	75	411
Representative of Employment	177	98	275
Representative of Health, Allied Health, and Rehabilitation	101	24	125
Representative of Community Living	397	222	619
Representative of Technology	133	12	145
Unable to Categorize	00	00	00
Total	1,881	808	2,689

Referral Types:

We have been working even closer with the Georgia Department of Education, Georgia Radio Reading Service (GRRS), the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Georgia's public health agencies. To make these sustainable and long term relationships, we have gone through a discovery process and strategically planned how we can each leverage our strengths to serve more individuals with disabilities in Georgia.

Referral Sources:

In our work with the Georgia Department of Education, to ensure comprehensive services throughout the state and to track activities, we developed an "AT Request Portal." This has been very successful and we have 332 registered users, representing 180 unique local education agencies (LEAs) [districts] in Georgia. AT Portal users are designated by administrators in Georgia districts as being provisioned to submit assistive technology requests to Tools for Life on behalf of their district.

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?

TFL worked with the Georgia State University's School of Puble Health to improve the accessibility of Public Health Materials. Individuals throughout Georgia benefitted from public health agencies learning more about ICT Accessibility, the importance of producing ASL videos, minimizing the text complexity, and producing braille. We also worked with GSU School of Public Health to ensure public health materials and websites met/exceeded 508 and WCAG 2.0/2.1 standards and works with Assistive technology.

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.

This partnership brought visability to the AT Act programs and our ICT expertise at the highest levels of government and across Georgia. We continued to see the positive impact and systemic changes that can occur when partnering with agencies who can quickly amplify the message of AT and accessibility. The initiative continues to grow and there are a lot of opportunities in this space for more involvement and leadership from AT Act programs.

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

Health; Aging; Aging and Disability Network / No Wrong Door; Information and Communication Technology / Remote Connectivity;

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

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

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 State ADAs Office, Georgia Tech AMAC Accessibility Research Center and TFL who form AccessGA worked together to assist the Georgia Department of Corrections to become accessible with their website and apps.

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.)

AccessGA, Georgia's Accessible ICT Initiative, is a joint initiative of the State of Georgia ADA Coordinator's Office and CIDI Accessibility Solutions and Research Center and Tools for Life at the Georgia Institute of Technology, with additional support from georgia.gov. AccessGA's design and purpose is to support Georgia state agencies with Information and Communication Technology (ICT) accessibility, promoting equal and timely access for employees and customers with a wide range of disabilities. In 2022, AccessGA hosted a successful ICT Conference with over 434 participants and assisted 11 agencies/colleges significantly with TA in their policies and practices to implement ICT accessibility. http://accessga.org/

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

Technology (ICT accessibility and AT

Additional And Leveraged Funds

Did you have Additional and Leveraged Funding to Report?

Yes

A. Leveraged Funding for State Plan Activities

Fund Source	Amount	Use of Funds	Data Reported
Federal	$7,081	Training	True
State Appropriations	$31,500	State Financing	True
State Appropriations	$31,500	Reuse	True
Public/State Agency	$450,000	State Financing	True
State Appropriations	$31,500	Demonstration	True
State Appropriations	$31,500	Device Loan	True
Public/State Agency	$586,000	Technical Assistance	True
	Amount: $1,169,081

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.

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 FY22 (9/30/2022) is as follows: (Check one) We did not utilize this funding in FY22 and wish to decline the funds in the future
We did not expend any of this funding in FY22, but plan to expend funding in FY23 and/or FY24
We expended some of all of this funding in FY22 (please complete the section below)

Please report the amount expended (drawn down and liquidated) in this reporting period, FY22:

$7,081.00

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	0.25
Outreach and Awareness Specialist	0.50
Training Specialist	0.00
Health Care Professional (includes PT, OT, SLP)	0.00
Accessibility Expert	0.10
Policy Expert	0.15
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.

Tools for Life has made excellent use of this funding to provide customized training for Public Heath professionals on assistive technology, accessibility and inclusive design.

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: Tue Feb 14 2023 16:29:02 GMT-0600 (Central Standard Time)