National Assistive Technology Act Data System

Annual Progress Report - Full Report

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Alabama 2024

General Information

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

State AT Program Title:

Accessing Potential Through Assistive Technology (APTAT)

State AT Program Title:

State AT Program URL

www.rehab.alabama.gov/services/vr/star

Mailing Address:

236 Goodwin Crest Drive

City:

Homewood

State:

Alabama

Zip Code:

35209

Program Email:

ashley.mcleroy@rehab.alabama.gov

Phone:

(205) 290-4466

TTY:

Lead Agency

Agency Name:

Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services

Mailing Address:

602 S. Lawrence Street

City:

Montgomery

State:

Alabama

Zip Code:

36104

Program URL:

https://www.rehab.alabama.gov

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):

McLeroy, Ashley

Title:

Director

Phone:

(205) 290-4466

E-mail:

ashley.mcleroy@rehab.alabama.gov

Program Director at Lead Agency (last, first):

Jenkins, Karen

Title:

Deputy Commissioner

Phone:

(334) 293-7108

E-mail:

karen.jenkins@rehab.alabama.gov

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):

Burdeshaw, Jane Elizabeth

Title:

Commissioner

Phone:

(334) 293-7200

E-mail:

JE.Burdeshaw@rehab.alabama.gov

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)	150
B. Non-Metro (RUCC 4-9)	35
C. Total Served	185

Performance Measure
D. Excluded from Performance Measure	0
E. Number of Individuals Included in Performance Measures	185

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	0	$0
Speech communication	40	$30,534
Learning, cognition, and developmental	34	$54,490
Mobility, seating and positioning	56	$62,980
Daily living	9	$10,265
Environmental adaptations	7	$4,988
Vehicle modification and transportation	0	$0
Computers and related	0	$0
Recreation, sports, and leisure	43	$4,653
Total	189	$167,910

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?

AT Fabrication or AT Maker Program

2. Geographic Distribution and Number of Individuals Served

County of Residence	Individuals Served
A. Metro (RUCC 1-3)	39
B. Non-Metro (RUCC 4-9)	5
C. Total Served	44

Performance Measure
D. Excluded from Performance Measure	0
E. Number of Individuals Included in Performance Measures	44

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	42	$1,995	$21	$1,974
Learning, cognition, and developmental	44	$1,337	$254	$1,083
Mobility, seating and positioning	0	$0	$0	$0
Daily living	21	$357	$210	$147
Environmental adaptations	0	$0	$0	$0
Vehicle modification and transportation	0	$0	$0	$0
Computers and related	23	$2,185	$115	$2,070
Recreation, sports, and leisure	23	$1,357	$667	$690
Total	153	$7,231	$1,267	$5,964

D. Anecdote

Our new partnership to support the administration of a last resort funding organization, Libby's Friends, has been a joy to see through fruition. Libby's Friends does amazing work, fundraising and working tirelessly to fulfill as many assistive technology requests as their budget allows. One great story comes from a family who received a folding powerchair for their son Orin. The chair, named "Noodle", has given Orin the freedom and independence to explore his world. Mom says "We are learning so much more about O’s personality now that he can explore new places at his own pace. He looked at me in amazement the first time we took Noodle out and I told Orin to “Go where you want to, I’m right behind you.” We were at a community festival and he went straight for the cake tables!" They also report that the chair is making a bigger impact as Orin's providers are recommending similar devices for other patients since seeing the positive outcome.

A young boy sits in the middle of a grassy field with his bright orange folding powerchair.

Impact Area Education Employment Community Living

We had the honor of coordinating an AT Maker workshop for the Alabama Occupational Therapy Association annual conference. As a pre-conference workshop event we were asked to provide in-depth training on 3D printing and inclusive activities to include make and take activities for the OTs to learn more about creating devices for their clients. We provided hands-on training for 3D modeling, demonstrated the 3D printing process on site, and participants got to 3D print their own finger focuser devices. We also created custom, capacitive styluses for device access using moldable plastic and metal straws. Finally, we built adapted catapults for inclusive fun! Not only did the participants get to take home three DIY devices at a significantly reduced cost, they now know how to create these useful devices to benefit the individuals they serve.

$Occupational Therapists who attended the APTAT workshop for their OT Association's conference hold up the custom, capacitive styluses they made using moldable plastic and metal straws.$

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.	47	138	00	185
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.	14	01	29	44
4. Subtotal	61	139	29	229
5. None of the above	00	00	00	00
6. Subtotal	61	139	29	229
7. Nonrespondent	00	00	00	00
8. Total	61	139	29	229
9. Performance on this measure	100%	100%	100%

F. Customer Satisfaction

Satisfaction
Customer Rating of Services	Number of Customers	Percent
Highly satisfied	228	99.56%
Satisfied	00	0%
Satisfied somewhat	00	0%
Not at all satisfied	00	0%
Nonrespondent	01	0.44%
Total Surveyed	229
Response rate %	99.56%

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	00
B. Device Refurbish/Repair - Reassign and/or Open Ended Loan	6,184
C. Total	6,184

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	6,184

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	Total Estimated Current Purchase Price	Total Price for Which Device(s) Were Exchanged	Savings to Consumers
Vision	$0	$0	$0
Hearing	$0	$0	$0
Speech Communication	$0	$0	$0
Learning, Cognition and Developmental	$0	$0	$0
Mobility, Seating and Positioning	$0	$0	$0
Daily Living	$0	$0	$0
Environmental Adaptations	$0	$0	$0
Vehicle Modification & Transportation	$0	$0	$0
Computers and Related	$0	$0	$0
Recreation, Sports and Leisure	$0	$0	$0
Total	$0	$0	$0

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	02	$100	$0	$100
Hearing	05	$5,900	$0	$5,900
Speech Communication	01	$7,000	$0	$7,000
Learning, Cognition and Developmental	01	$30	$0	$30
Mobility, Seating and Positioning	5,033	$1,641,716	$0	$1,641,716
Daily Living	2,875	$548,177	$0	$548,177
Environmental Adaptations	59	$7,626	$0	$7,626
Vehicle Modification & Transportation	06	$5,050	$0	$5,050
Computers and Related	01	$60	$0	$60
Recreation, Sports and Leisure	11	$933	$0	$933
Total	7,994	$2,216,592	$0	$2,216,592

D. Anecdote

The R.E.A.L. Project is a DME reutilization program of the Wiregrass Rehabilitation Center in Dothan, Al partially funded through AT Act dollars. Their most successful reuse stories often involve residents of southeast Alabama who may be low income, elderly, and/or from rural counties. Residents like Ms. Louise, who is a 65-year-old female needing an oversized electric lift recliner and overbed table to accommodate her chronic conditions that cause difficulty with balance, breathing, pain, and mobility. She contacted the reuse center because she could not afford the Medicaid copay. Ms. Louise had to be put on a waitlist for her request but within a few months she got a call from The R.E.A.L Project informing her that an oversized electric lift recliner chair and overbed table were available for her. Both pieces of equipment were in pristine condition and acquiring them from the reuse program saved nearly $3000 it would have cost her and her insurance company. Ms. Louise reported that the chair is supremely comfortable and she was so grateful for The R.E.A.L Project for making her life less of a struggle.

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.	19	78	5,854	5,951
2. AT was only available through the AT program.	02	03	142	147
3. AT was available through other programs, but the system was too complex or the wait time too long.	00	00	51	51
4. Subtotal	21	81	6,047	6,149
5. None of the above	00	01	25	26
6. Subtotal	21	82	6,072	6,175
7. Nonrespondent	00	01	08	09
8. Total	21	83	6,080	6,184
9. Performance on this measure	100%	97.59%	99.46%

F. Customer Satisfaction

Satisfaction
Customer Rating of Services	Number of Customers	Percent
Highly satisfied	6,119	98.95%
Satisfied	59	0.95%
Satisfied somewhat	00	0%
Not at all satisfied	00	0%
Nonrespondent	06	0.1%
Total Surveyed	6,184
Response rate %	99.9%

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)	135
Serve as loaner during service repair or while waiting for funding	13
Provide an accommodation on a short-term basis for a time-limited event/situation	15
Conduct training, self-education or other professional development activity	37
Total	200

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	26	12	38
Family Members, Guardians, and Authorized Representatives	31	14	45
Representative of Education	12	02	14
Representative of Employment	13	07	20
Representatives of Health, Allied Health, and Rehabilitation	16	06	22
Representatives of Community Living	02	00	02
Representatives of Technology	35	24	59
Total	135	65	200

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	06	15	21
Hearing	11	04	15
Speech Communication	13	05	18
Learning, Cognition and Developmental	26	11	37
Mobility, Seating and Positioning	37	12	49
Daily Living	58	55	113
Environmental Adaptations	20	17	37
Vehicle Modification and Transportation	01	00	01
Computers and Related	106	78	184
Recreation, Sports and Leisure	08	15	23
Total	286	212	498

E. Anecdote

APTAT was contacted by the Admissions Officer for the Alabama State Bar Exam. She’d been referred to our program by Vocational Rehabilitation while seeking assistive technology for two examinees who’d requested accommodations for the upcoming exam. We were able to invite each of the individuals to our office to trial several options from our library. One individual trialed mobile standing desks and ergonomic mice. The second individual trialed CCTVs, text to speech, keyboards, and screen magnification and we were able to select a system of devices that best suited her preferences. The devices each individual selected were then delivered to the exam office and setup for their three day exam. APTAT was glad that our updated device inventory was utilized for such an important event and the State Bar Exam Office was thrilled to have a resource to help them secure the temporary accommodations.

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	28	29	33	90
Decided that an AT device/ service will not meet needs	06	05	15	26
Subtotal	34	34	48	116
Have not made a decision	01	02	07	10
Subtotal	35	36	55	126
Nonrespondent	02	03	04	09
Total	37	39	59	135
Performance on this measure	97.14%	94.44%	87.27%

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.	06	10	12	28
2. AT was only available through the AT program.	05	06	09	20
3. AT was available through other programs, but the system was too complex or the wait time too long.	02	08	06	16
4. Subtotal	13	24	27	64
5. None of the above	00	00	00	00
6. Subtotal	13	24	27	64
7. Nonrespondent	00	01	00	01
8. Total	13	25	27	65
9. Performance on this measure	100%	100%	100%

H. Customer Satisfaction

Satisfaction
Customer Rating of Services	Number of Customers	Percent
Highly satisfied	182	91%
Satisfied	13	6.5%
Satisfied somewhat	00	0%
Not at all satisfied	00	0%
Nonrespondent	05	2.5%
Total Surveyed	200
Response rate %	97.5%

I. Notes:

Our device loan program received a significant increase in loan requests from the previous year, 36 to 200, for two major reasons. First, we were able to utilize funding from the American Rescue Plan Act to more than triple our device inventory over the span of a year. Next, we were able to utilize the Public Health Workforce grant to support a public awareness campaign to get information out about the updated resource and provide training to increase knowledge of assistive technology.

Device Demonstration

A. Number of Device Demonstrations by Device Type

Type of AT Device / Service	Number of Demonstrations of AT Devices / Services
Vision	03
Hearing	00
Speech Communication	02
Learning, Cognition and Developmental	02
Mobility, Seating and Positioning	03
Daily Living	02
Environmental Adaptations	01
Vehicle Modification and Transportation	00
Computers and Related	12
Recreation, Sports and Leisure	00
Total # of Device Demonstrations	25

B. Types of Participants

Type of Participant	Decision-Makers	Other Participants	Total
Individuals with Disabilities	17	04	21
Family Members, Guardians, and Authorized Representatives	04	07	11
Representatives of Education	00	00	00
Representatives of Employment	00	01	01
Health, Allied Health, Rehabilitation	03	16	19
Representative of Community Living	00	00	00
Representative of Technology	01	10	11
Total	25	38	63

C. Number of Referrals

Referrals
Type of Entity	Number of Referrals
Funding Source (non-AT program)	08
Service Provider	08
Vendor	10
Repair Service	00
Others	03
Total	29

D. Anecdote

A client and their Rehab Engineer visited our demonstration site to explore mounting options for their iPad, an essential communication tool for her employment goals. The engineer, who provides assistive technology (AT) services and evaluations, often faces challenges due to their limited device inventory. During the visit, they were able to examine multiple mounting solutions and, with the help of one of our mounting kits, create a customized setup that improved the client’s ability to attach her iPad to her wheelchair. The APTAT staff's expertise further aided in the decision-making process. The Rehab Engineer highlighted the value of having access to a comprehensive inventory for effective device demonstrations.

The rehab engineer attaches an iPad mount to client's wheelchair. They are both smiling at the camera.

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	05	11	05	21
Decided that an AT device/ service will not meet needs	00	00	02	02
Subtotal	05	11	07	23
Have not made a decision	01	00	01	02
Subtotal	06	11	08	25
Nonrespondent	00	00	00	00
Total	06	11	08	25
Performance on this measure	83.33%	100%	87.5%

F. Customer Satisfaction

Satisfaction
Customer Rating of Services	Number of Customers	Percent
Highly satisfied	63	100%
Satisfied	00	0%
Satisfied somewhat	00	0%
Not at all satisfied	00	0%
Nonrespondent	00	0%
Total	63
Response rate %	100%

G. Notes:

This year, we successfully increased the number of assistive technology demonstrations by expanding our in-house staff capacity and securing a dedicated demonstration space.

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.	72	226	5,866	6,164
2. AT was only available through the AT program.	07	09	151	167
3. AT was available through other programs, but the system was too complex or the wait time too long.	16	09	86	111
4. Subtotal	95	244	6,103	6,442
5. None of the above	00	01	25	26
6. Subtotal	95	245	6,128	6,468
7. Nonrespondent	00	02	08	10
8. Total	95	247	6,136	6,478
9. Performance on this measure	83.16%	95.53%	98.06%	97.75%
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	33	40	38	111
Decided that an AT device/ service will not meet needs	06	05	17	28
Subtotal	39	45	55	139
Have not made a decision	02	02	08	12
Subtotal	41	47	63	151
Nonrespondent	02	03	04	09
Total	43	50	67	160
Performance on this measure	95.12%	95.74%	87.3%	92.05%
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	100%	95%	Met
Response Rate	99.82%	90%	Met

Educational/Training Activities

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

Educational/Training Activities by Participant Type
Type of Participant	Number
Individuals with Disabilities	335
Family Members, Guardians and Authorized Representatives	150
Representatives of Education	360
Representatives of Employment	431
Rep Health, Allied Health, and Rehabilitation	495
Representatives of Community Living	59
Representatives of Technology	24
Unable to Categorize	40
TOTAL	1,894

Geographic Distribution of Participants
Metro	Non Metro	Unknown	TOTAL
1,385	168	341	1,894

B. Educational/Training Activity Topics

Educational/Training Activities by Topic
Primary Topic of Educational/Training Activities	Participants
AT Products/Services	1,063
AT Funding/Policy/ Practice	147
Combination of any/all of the above	529
Information Technology/Telecommunication Access	11
Transition	144
Total	1,894

C. Description of Educational/Training Activities

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

APTAT hosted a four part webinar series to highlight assistive technology funding resources in the state of Alabama. During the webinars we interviewed representatives of various agencies and organizations to provide attendees with an overview of services, eligibility, and qualifying assistive technology. Guest speakers represented the Alabama Department of Senior Services, Alabama Department of Mental Health, community partners with last resort funding grants, and programs of the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services including Vocational Rehabilitation, Children’s Rehabilitation Services, and State of Alabama Independent Living. The webinars were recorded and made available online for those who could not attend live. The series not only provided the community with excellent resources but it gave us an opportunity to build our network with these entities who provide assistive technology funding.

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

APTAT staff had the opportunity to provide a session at the Alabama Education Technology Conference related to the transition of AAC users into college. Their session titled, “Empowering AAC Users: Strategies for Smooth Transitions to Higher Education”, highlighted tools, communication strategies, and accommodations that promote independence, academic success, and effective self-advocacy in higher education settings. This presentation provided from the perspective of an educator in higher education and AAC user gave participants invaluable insight into the supports an AAC user needs to boost their success in post-secondary education.

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

APTAT was invited to the Leadership Exchange in Arts & Disabilities annual conference to co-present on how to create Accessible Social Media posts. This national conference Is designed to support full inclusion for people with disabilities in arts & culture, attendees work for museums, art galleries, national parks, and theaters around the county. Attendees were provided with key points to consider when creating posts and the steps to ensure their posts are inclusive.

D. IT/Telecommunications Educational/Training Activity Performance Measure

IT/Telecommunications Educational/Training Activity Performance Measure
Outcome/Result From IT/Telecommunications Educational/Training Activities Received	Number
IT and Telecommunications Procurement or Dev Policies	11
Training or Technical Assistance will be developed or implemented	00
No known outcome at this time	00
Nonrespondent	00
Total	11
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	74%
Employment	00%
Health, Allied Health, Rehabilitation	21%
Community Living	05%
Technology (IT, Telecom, AT)	00%
Total	100%

B. Description of Technical Assistance

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

APTAT continued to provide technical assistance to the Alabama ALS Association for the provision of their assistive technology services. One of the areas they struggled is a method for distributing donated equipment from their loan closet to ALS patients. More importantly, they did not have the expertise to support the maintenance and implementation of higher tech devices like AAC. Our designated APTAT representative worked with ALS to audit their procedures and make recommendations to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their process. After ALS hired a new equipment manager, our representative worked with that individual to provide training and consultation on AAC acquisition procedures to ensure patients would have access to available devices while they pursued funding of their own. ALS also followed through with the recommendation to contract with an AT specialist who could deliver and set up the devices to the patients.

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

APTAT had the opportunity to consult with disability service providers connected with Alabama's Modern Manufacturing program. The program is designed to prepare students for entry level positions in manufacturing. However, the curriculum can present barriers for students with disabilities interested in some of the fields. APTAT provided suggestions for potential accommodations and resources and intends to continue providing consultation for specific cases. We are developing our network within this program and hope to continue supporting efforts to increase the accessibility of the courses and exams.

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. APTAT successfully hosted 6 Rural Roadshow events. The roadshow was designed to bring the APTAT lending library directly to rural residents to explore a variety of AT, learn more about APTAT’s services, and participate in our lending program by borrowing items provided there on site. Events were held in counties designated as non-metro at accessible and community centered facilities including a high school gymnasium, career center, assisted living center, public library, and other municipal facilities. A few of the events were hosted in collaboration with the Alabama Council for Developmental Disabilities to provide an opportunity for them to reach their targeted, underserved populations. In all cases, organizations who support the acquisition of assistive technology were invited to exhibit. In addition to meeting directly with the public, APTAT was able to form relationships with organizations such as the ARC of Clarke County. They were very interested in assisting consumers as they transition out of school into workplace environments or independent living and asked their entire staff to stop by the event and check out devices. Another notable group that attended from an elementary school reported that they were able to leverage funding to purchase their own devices for their school system because their trial period gave them an opportunity to formulate justification.

Information And Assistance

Information And Assistance Activities by Recipient
Types of Recipients	AT Device/ Service	AT Funding	Total
Individuals with Disabilities	09	02	11
Family Members, Guardians and Authorized Representatives	16	01	17
Representative of Education	10	00	10
Representative of Employment	12	00	12
Representative of Health, Allied Health, and Rehabilitation	27	03	30
Representative of Community Living	03	00	03
Representative of Technology	02	00	02
Unable to Categorize	03	00	03
Total	82	06	88

Referral Types:

While growing our program we have had to find a balance with public awareness and daily service provision. We've found that not all exhibit tables are as effective as we'd like for them to be but often result in at least one identifiable contact post event, meaning we usually get at least one person following an event that contacts us to utilize a service. Each staff person has a seat in one or more advisory councils/panels and we believe this has improved our outreach to other disability service providers who are then referring individuals to us. For example, one staff person is seated on the State Rehabilitation Council which has broadened our network to organizations like the Alabama Parent Education Center and other key partners. Since we are housed within the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services it is not uncommon for someone to contact us on behalf of a consumer or to refer a consumer to us. In addition, when people are searching online for resources and contact ADRS they are forwarded to APTAT when their questions are related to assistive technology. Our concerted effort to increase program awareness was the Rural Roadshow where our program hosted mini resource fairs with a traveling lending library. The roadshow collaborations with other AT providers increased awareness of our services and will in turn, increase our information and assistance requests.

Referral Sources:

Approximately 31% of referrals are a result of our awareness and outreach initiatives whether that is contacts received following public awareness events, through social media, or directly to the agency. Approximately 13% come from disability & advocacy providers who know about us either because of our collaboration, outreach, or connection to the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services. However, even those who know about us through the department received information through the trainings and public awareness events we participated in. Our work with school systems has also increased the number of contacts we get from education providers. Although our data reports 15% of our referrals are from program area providers we know that education provider connections have increased. These contacts may be getting marked under awareness and outreach because the education provider might’ve first heard about us through one of our events. We expect to see an increase in referrals from program providers as they start to share the resource to their network.

Notes:

We find it is difficult to thoroughly count the number of information and assistance requests we respond to and gather the required data because we are often responding to these calls and emails while in the midst of larger projects. We haven't developed an effective system for logging the requests nor an adequate procedure for making sure we inquire about their referral source. Therefore, the number of I&A recipients is expected to grow as we define better procedures for collecting data.

Coordination/Collaboration and State Improvement Outcomes

Overview of Coordination/Collaboration Activities

Outreach was conducted with the State Education Agency *

Yes

Was collaboration implemented? *

Yes

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?

APTAT has continued to develop our relationship with the Alabama Department of Education Special Education Services. As a result, we will be receiving funding from ALSDE for the development and administration of an assistive technology lending library. The device library will be available for educators to increase their access to assistive technology needed for AT evaluations, accommodations, and professional development. The two year contract is set to begin in fiscal year 2025. Up until this point, AT Act dollars have funded the collaborations with Special Education Services and local school systems but the upcoming funding to manage, maintain, and administer the library will help offset the burden to AT Act dollars for short term loan activities associated with P-12 students. Our collaboration goes beyond the development of an expansive educational AT library. APTAT has made an effort to provide training to educators through conferences, webinars, and related events. We also sit on the Special Education Advisory Panel and participate in other education related community groups. Most notably, we collaborated with Alabama Department of Education Special Education Services and ADRS Rehab Engineering and Assistive Technology to conduct a two day pre conference at the annual Alabama Education Technology conference. The pre conference presented school teams with effective methods to conduct AT evaluations as part of a student’s IEP. The pre conference included exploration of assistive technology devices, discussion of team roles, and practice evaluations. Over 80 teachers, related service providers and school administrators were in attendance. In addition, APTAT has been making direct contact to local school systems by providing guidance and technical assistance to schools and districts regarding their implementation of assistive technology. One district recently consulted APTAT in the development of their AT evaluation/documentation process for the start of the 2024-2025 school year. This process was reviewed by district related service staff to jump start the year with hopes of clarifying questions of how to determine AT needs and how to document.

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?

Through our continued collaborations and partnership we’ve seen an increase in information and assistance requests and short term loan requests from educators. They have been excited to learn of a resource to gain access to technology they can trial with their students since it can be hard to recommend AT without having trialed it first, especially when funding requires extensive documentation and justification. We have made connections to school systems from the extreme ends of the state, increasing access to AT in underserved areas. What made our partnership the most successful is having program staff with an extensive background in special education services. Their knowledge has been invaluable to the development of APTAT as a go-to resource for educators. We expect the funding to continue to some degree so that the device library can be an ongoing initiative. We’d like to increase staff capacity to provide support in systematic changes to AT implementation in the P-12 environment. However, this initiative would require more pull on program resources and would ultimately require additional funding. We plan to evaluate these needs throughout the development of the new library resource so that we can partner with ALSDE to leverage additional funding.

2.a Please include URL for initiative if available

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

Education,

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

Device Loan, Demo, Training, Information & Assistance, Public Awareness, Technical Assistance,

Outreach was conducted with the Vocational Rehabilitation Agency *

Yes

Was collaboration implemented? *

Yes

Because we are housed within the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services which includes Vocational Rehabilitation we have a direct line to collaboration with VR providers. To ensure providers were aware of our growing program resources we provided training to agency and field leadership who then disseminated information to field staff. This training resulted in several additional training requests to individual units across the state. We were also asked to participate in the department’s training series for Community Rehabilitation Partners. The trainings provided an opportunity for CRPs to send staff to learn more about services available through ADRS. APTAT was able to present our services and connect with key partners across the state. Public Health grant funding was used to support the staff time utilized for the training events.

We had an increase in requests for short term loans after our training initiatives as VR counselors and CRP staff began requesting devices for their consumers to trial. For VR consumers we worked closely with the local Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology program who is the primary program providing direct services to VR consumers. With the local REAT staff we were able to better implement the borrowed AT. The additional benefit to building this network and awareness within our own agency is that we have support from traveling staff when we need to move devices throughout the state rather than spend our limited funding on shipping. It has also been a benefit to develop the relationships with the CRPs and teach their staff more about AT because they spend a great deal of time working one on one with the consumers so it is increasing capacity in our state to provide AT services. What has made the initiative the most successful is the ability to bring awareness to our updated lending library which has become a valuable resource to the service providers. The funding we received from the American Rescue Plan Act helped increase our inventory to over 2000 devices that we did not have two years ago.

2.a Please include URL for initiative if available

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

Employment,

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

Device Loan, Demo, Training, Information & Assistance,

Outreach was conducted with the Aging Agency *

Yes

Was collaboration implemented? *

Yes

Through our APTAT Funding webinar series we were able to connect with the Alabama Department of Senior Services. This initiative allowed us to learn more about their programs as a funding resource and in turn, they learned about our services. We used some AT Act funding and some Public Health grant funding to support the time to coordinate the webinars. The webinars were open and available to the public live and also recorded and made available online.

Although we don’t receive additional funding to support a specific initiative we would like to continue building our relationship with Senior Services to ensure older adults and their families know about our services. We have been invited to sit on an advisory panel for aging services and will continue to find ways to connect with other related programs. Had we considered the impact, we would have made a pointed effort to include Senior Services in the assistive technology conference we were planning for the start of fiscal year 2025 so their service providers would be more familiar with assistive technology.

2.a Please include URL for initiative if available

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

Aging,

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

Training,

Outreach was conducted with the Medicaid Agency *

Why was outreach not conducted? *

We are in a major redevelopment phase of our program which strained our staff time and resources. We haven't yet made a connection with the Medicaid Agency.

Additional Coordination/Collaboration activities

A. Coordination/Collaboration

We collaborated with the Alabama Council for Developmental Disabilities to increase our reach to underserved communities. For our APTAT webinar series they funded Spanish Interpreting for five of the trainings that were also beneficial to their target audience including topics on Community Funding, Adapted Sports, Accessible Travel, Accessible Video Gaming, and Camp for People with Disabilities. In addition, for our Rural Roadshow they provided coordination support and outreach for the locations that were shared target communities. Public Health Grant funding was utilized for APTAT staff time to coordinate these training and public awareness events.

We were glad to partner with an organization that has a shared interest in bringing assistive technology awareness to underserved communities. What benefited us to develop this relationship was having representatives of ACDD on our advisory council. Being a part of our council gave them an opportunity to see where our missions aligned, and they came to us with the goal of supporting our initiatives. Since both teams have limited staff, it was very beneficial to join forces in coordination and planning efforts. We don't currently have an agreement to continue the specific initiative, but our relationship will continue and the benefit of working together was worthy of future collaborations.

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

Community Participation and Integration; Recreation / Leisure;

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

Training; 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?

Additional And Leveraged Funds

A. Leveraged Funding for State Plan Activities

Fund Source	Amount	Use of Funds	Data Reported
Federal	$40,000	Training	True
Federal	$382,464	Device Loan	True
Federal	$7,326	State Financing	True
Federal	$2,930	Training	True
Federal	$40,000	Public Awareness, I&A	True
Federal	$283,446	Demonstration	True
	Amount: $756,166

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 FY24 (September 30, 2024) is as follows: (Check one) We did not utilize this funding in FY22, FY23 or FY24
We already expended the full award amount and reported associated data in the FY22 and/or FY23 APR
We expended some OR all this funding in FY24 (please complete the section below)

Please report the amount expended (drawn down and liquidated) in this reporting period, FY24:

$80,000.00

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	2.00
Information and Assistance Specialist	0.00
Outreach and Awareness Specialist	0.00
Training Specialist	0.00
Health Care Professional (includes PT, OT, SLP)	1.20
Accessibility Expert	0.00
Policy Expert	0.00
Technology Expert (Digital Divide, Mobile Tech)	0.00
Program Manager	1.00
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.

With the additional PHWG funding we were able to put a larger focus into a public awareness and training campaign called "Back AT it". With this campaign we put a focus on providing trainings to increase awareness of the benefits of assistive technology to those with disabilities including but not limited to long COVID, chronic illness, and mental health as well as those communities who were impacted by the transition to a more digital world. Since we were rebuilding service capacity and, more specifically, developing our loan and demo device inventory, we were able to teach others about the latest technology available to support their positive health and wellness goals. We also hosted a four-part webinar series to provide the general public with information on resources for funding assistive technology so they can be better prepared and able to acquire technology needed in the future. This funding also afforded us the opportunity to participate in more public awareness events to share our resources to those individuals impacted by health concerns as well as their service providers. One major activity we participated in was our APTAT Rural Roadshow where we provided a traveling library and mini resource fair in six different rural areas of the state. The goal was to target these underserved communities and provide better access to the resources we provide to support their positive health and well-being.

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).