National Assistive Technology Act Data System

Annual Progress Report - Full Report

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New Mexico 2025

General Information

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

State AT Program Title:
New Mexico Technology Assistance Program
State AT Program Title:
State AT Program URL
www.tap.gcd.nm.gov
Mailing Address:
625 Silver Ave SW, Suite 100 B
City:
Albuquerque
State:
NM
Zip Code:
87102
Program Email:
tracy.agiovlasitis@gcd.nm.gov
Phone:
505-841-4464
TTY:

Lead Agency

Agency Name:
New Mexico Governor's Commission on Disability
Mailing Address:
491 Old Santa Fe Trail, Lamy Building
City:
Santa Fe
State:
NM
Zip Code:
87501
Program URL:
www.gcd.nm.gov

Implementing Entity

Name of Implementing Agency:
Mailing Address:
City
State:
Zip Code:
Program URL:

Program Director and Other Contacts

Program Director for State AT Program (last, first):
Agiovlasitis, Tracy
Title:
Program Manager
Phone:
505-469-1489
E-mail:
tracy.agiovlasitis@gcd.nm.gov
Program Director at Lead Agency (last, first):
Ross, Stan
Title:
Agency Director
Phone:
505-321-5650
E-mail:
stan.ross@gcd.nm.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):
Tracy Agiovlasitis
Title:
Program Manager
Phone:
505-469-1489
E-mail:
tracy.agiovlasitis@gcd.nm.gov

Certifying Representative

Name (last, first):
Stan Ross
Title:
Director
Phone:
505-476-0418
E-mail:
Stan.ross@gcd.nm.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? Yes

Loan Applications
Area of Residence Total
Metro
RUCC 1-3 		Non-Metro
RUCC 4-9
Approved Loan made 00 00 00
Approved Not made 00 00 00
Rejected 00 00 00
Total 00 00 00

2. Income of Applicants to Whom Loans Were Made

Lowest/Highest Incomes
Lowest Income: $0 Highest Income: $0

Average Income
Sum of Incomes Loans Made Average Annual Income
$0 00 $0

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

3. Loan Type

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

Loan Type Summary
Type of Loan Number of Loans Dollar Value of Loans
Revolving Loans 00 $0
Partnership Loans 00 $0
Total 00 $0

4. Interest Rates

Interest Rates
Lowest 0%
Highest 0%

Interest Rate Summary
Sum of Interest Rates Number of Loans Made Average Interest Rate
00 00 0%

Number of Loans Made by Interest Rate
Interest Rate Number of loans
0.0% to 2.0% 00
2.1% to 4.0% 00
4.1% to 6.0% 00
6.1% to 8.0% 00
8.1% - 10.0% 00
10.1%-12.0% 00
12.1%-14.0% 00
14.1% + 00
Total 00

5. Types and Dollar Amounts of AT Financed

Types and Dollar Amounts of AT Financed
Type of AT Number of Devices Financed Dollar Value of Loans
Vision 00 $0
Hearing 00 $0
Speech communication 00 $0
Learning, cognition, and developmental 00 $0
Mobility, seating and positioning 00 $0
Daily living 00 $0
Environmental adaptations 00 $0
Vehicle modification and transportation 00 $0
Computers and related 00 $0
Recreation, sports, and leisure 00 $0
Total 00 $0

6. Defaults

Defaults
Number Loans in default 01
Net loss for loans in default $50,665

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? 0


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? 0

D. Anecdote

An older woman suffered a severe brain injury due to hypoglycemia (low blood sugar). As a result, she has been exploring alternative communication devices with NMTAP and now uses a large custom wheelchair for mobility. Her partner has a small SUV which could no longer fit both her, caregiver and wheelchair in the vehicle. At times paramedics needed to get her out of the vehicle and into the house. A change to public transportation through insurance and city para-transit services has been unsafe. There is a high rate of no pickup to and from doctor appointments, problems allowing the caregiver to ride along, and long wait times with blood sugar fluctuations and now painful pressure sores on her body. Her and her partner worked with our Financial Loan program to obtain a van with a wheelchair lift to attend medical appointments and to participate in community activities without risk of injury. This loan is near full approval, and we anticipate this to occur in the upcoming year.

Impact Area

Impact Area

E. Performance Measures

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

F. Customer Satisfaction

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

G. Notes:

During this year work has been done to adjust several previous finanical loans do avoid default on the loan. There was one for an accessible van that defaulted despite refinancing due the unfortunate death of the person. A lot of effort was spent to reposess and refurbish that vehicle in the hope that it could be used by another individual with similar challenges. We anticipate to not only provide the new loan mentioned above, but others for a variety of Assistive Technologies for indviduals next year.

Reutilization

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 1,803
C. Total 1,803

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 1,803

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 00 $0 $0 $0
Learning, Cognition and Developmental 00 $0 $0 $0
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 00 $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 $145 $0 $145
Hearing 00 $0 $0 $0
Speech Communication 01 $220 $0 $220
Learning, Cognition and Developmental 05 $6,933 $0 $6,933
Mobility, Seating and Positioning 877 $358,053 $0 $358,053
Daily Living 1,385 $214,961 $0 $214,961
Environmental Adaptations 08 $1,032 $0 $1,032
Vehicle Modification & Transportation 03 $2,100 $0 $2,100
Computers and Related 372 $111,133 $0 $111,133
Recreation, Sports and Leisure 00 $0 $0 $0
Total 2,653 $694,577 $0 $694,577

D. Anecdote

After an accident, an individual wanted to gain the skills and knowledge she needed to reenter the workforce. She was returning to school and needed a laptop computer for schoolwork. Due to previous experience in the past with an Apple MacBook computer, she would be most successful with familiar hardware and software. A timely donation of used MacBooks from a local school was given to our Re Utilization program. We were able to provide her with a refurbished MacBook Pro that enabled her to access online coursework, complete assignments, take notes in lectures, and support her on her ongoing academic journey. She was overjoyed that we were able to fulfill her request before the start of the school semester and noted that our program and her vocational rehabilitation counselor, “Went above and beyond to make sure the equipment provided met my needs.”

Impact Area

E. Performance Measures

Performance Measures
Response Primary Purpose for Which AT is Needed Total
Education Employment Community Living
1. Could only afford the AT through the AT program. 123 32 1,505 1,660
2. AT was only available through the AT program. 32 09 23 64
3. AT was available through other programs, but the system was too complex or the wait time too long. 19 03 38 60
4. Subtotal 174 44 1,566 1,784
5. None of the above 00 00 00 00
6. Subtotal 174 44 1,566 1,784
7. Nonrespondent 04 07 08 19
8. Total 178 51 1,574 1,803
9. Performance on this measure 97.75% 86.27% 99.49%

F. Customer Satisfaction

Satisfaction
Customer Rating of Services Number of Customers Percent
Highly satisfied 1,766 97.95%
Satisfied 18 1%
Satisfied somewhat 00 0%
Not at all satisfied 00 0%
Nonrespondent 19 1.05%
Total Surveyed 1,803
Response rate % 98.95%

G. Notes:

Device Loan

A. Short-Term Device Loans by Type of Purpose

Loans By Purpose
Primary Purpose of Short-Term Device Loan Number
Assist in decision-making (device trial or evaluation) 269
Serve as loaner during service repair or while waiting for funding 06
Provide an accommodation on a short-term basis for a time-limited event/situation 16
Conduct training, self-education or other professional development activity 05
Total 296

B. Short-Term Device Loan by Type of Borrower

LOANS BY TYPE OF BORROWER
Type of Individual or Entity Number of Device Borrowers
Desicion-making All other Purposes Total
Individuals with Disabilities 144 15 159
Family Members, Guardians, and Authorized Representatives 21 05 26
Representative of Education 13 02 15
Representative of Employment 06 01 07
Representatives of Health, Allied Health, and Rehabilitation 80 04 84
Representatives of Community Living 02 00 02
Representatives of Technology 03 00 03
Total 269 27 296

C. Length of Short-Term Device Loans

Length of Short-Term Device Loan in Days 42

D. Types of Devices Loaned

Types of Devices Loaned
Type of AT Device Number of Devices
Desicion-making All other Purposes Total
Vision 60 10 70
Hearing 18 00 18
Speech Communication 189 07 196
Learning, Cognition and Developmental 75 02 77
Mobility, Seating and Positioning 32 02 34
Daily Living 88 06 94
Environmental Adaptations 10 08 18
Vehicle Modification and Transportation 00 00 00
Computers and Related 146 15 161
Recreation, Sports and Leisure 40 00 40
Total 658 50 708

E. Anecdote

An individual who is blind needed a temporary replacement for his braille notetaker. His own device broke, and he was sending it out for repairs. He had work coming up that he needed to take notes in a meeting. He contacted our local Commission for the Blind for a temporary replacement but because he was not enrolled in any of their programs, they were unable to provide him a temporary device. He was referred to our program by one of the NMTAP Advisory Council members. Thanks to the referral and having a device available in our Device Loan Library, we were able to provide this individual with a device, while his device was in repair, so he was able to continue working. We recently purchased the braille notetaker as an effort to enhance our Device Loan Library for individuals who are blind but not utilizing services through the separate Commission for the Blind.

Impact Area

F. Access Performance Measures

Access Performance Measures
Response Primary Purpose for Which AT is Needed Total
Education Employment Community Living
Decided that AT device/service will meet needs 38 25 123 186
Decided that an AT device/ service will not meet needs 11 07 27 45
Subtotal 49 32 150 231
Have not made a decision 10 05 08 23
Subtotal 59 37 158 254
Nonrespondent 04 04 07 15
Total 63 41 165 269
Performance on this measure 83.05% 86.49% 94.94%

G. Acquisition Performance Measures

Acquisition Performance Measures
Response Primary Purpose for Which AT is Needed Total
Education Employment Community Living
1. Could only afford the AT through the AT program. 01 00 01 02
2. AT was only available through the AT program. 03 05 13 21
3. AT was available through other programs, but the system was too complex or the wait time too long. 01 00 01 02
4. Subtotal 05 05 15 25
5. None of the above 00 00 00 00
6. Subtotal 05 05 15 25
7. Nonrespondent 01 00 01 02
8. Total 06 05 16 27
9. Performance on this measure 100% 100% 100%

H. Customer Satisfaction

Satisfaction
Customer Rating of Services Number of Customers Percent
Highly satisfied 257 86.82%
Satisfied 14 4.73%
Satisfied somewhat 01 0.34%
Not at all satisfied 00 0%
Nonrespondent 24 8.11%
Total Surveyed 296
Response rate % 91.89%

I. Notes:

Majority of our loans are for individuals with varied functionality to trial Assistive Technology (AT) devices prior to purchasing them, but the other reasons for borrowing device are also key to success in life. Also in our rural state, we determined to extend the days for a borrowed device to be six weeks, or 42 days, to allow for adequate usage time with life ups and downs for individuals with health changes, as well as allowing a few extra days needed for mailing the AT. This allows maximum trial in the individuals environment to make sure it works well for them.

Device Demonstration

A. Number of Device Demonstrations by Device Type

Type of AT Device / Service Number of Demonstrations of AT Devices / Services
Vision 27
Hearing 05
Speech Communication 18
Learning, Cognition and Developmental 18
Mobility, Seating and Positioning 03
Daily Living 07
Environmental Adaptations 05
Vehicle Modification and Transportation 00
Computers and Related 26
Recreation, Sports and Leisure 02
Total # of Device Demonstrations 111

B. Types of Participants

Type of Participant Decision-Makers Other Participants Total
Individuals with Disabilities 98 10 108
Family Members, Guardians, and Authorized Representatives 04 39 43
Representatives of Education 03 06 09
Representatives of Employment 01 03 04
Health, Allied Health, Rehabilitation 05 18 23
Representative of Community Living 00 04 04
Representative of Technology 00 00 00
Total 111 80 191

C. Number of Referrals

Referrals
Type of Entity Number of Referrals
Funding Source (non-AT program) 12
Service Provider 29
Vendor 21
Repair Service 00
Others 02
Total 64

D. Anecdote

A student at a rural university with a vision disability that doesn’t allow her pupils to dilate was having difficulties getting her schoolwork done. Almost all her homework was only available online and NMTAP provided a demonstration of technology that could work for her. We discussed specific challenges she faces regarding her homework. Challenges included not being able to use her computer for long periods of time because of the brightness. The inability to read her schoolwork online because of the color and PDF being unreadable as it was not made accessible to a screen reader. High contrast color settings on her computer, dark-mode settings, and other color options were demonstrated to make her computer easier to use. Several Chrome web browser extensions were also explored for text-to-speech and color contrast. Because of these changes, this individual was able to access and complete her schoolwork, ending her school semester with an A in the class.

Impact Area

E. Performance Measures

Performance Measures
Response Primary Purpose for Which AT is Needed Total
Education Employment Community Living
Decided that AT device/service will meet needs 24 20 59 103
Decided that an AT device/ service will not meet needs 02 02 00 04
Subtotal 26 22 59 107
Have not made a decision 00 00 04 04
Subtotal 26 22 63 111
Nonrespondent 00 00 00 00
Total 26 22 63 111
Performance on this measure 100% 100% 93.65%

F. Customer Satisfaction

Satisfaction
Customer Rating of Services Number of Customers Percent
Highly satisfied 170 89.01%
Satisfied 21 10.99%
Satisfied somewhat 00 0%
Not at all satisfied 00 0%
Nonrespondent 00 0%
Total 191
Response rate % 100%

G. Notes:

Overall Performance Measures

Overall Acquisition Performance Measure

Acquisition Performance Measures
Response Primary Purpose for Which AT is Needed Total
Education Employment Community Living
1. Could only afford the AT through the AT program. 124 32 1,506 1,662
2. AT was only available through the AT program. 35 14 36 85
3. AT was available through other programs, but the system was too complex or the wait time too long. 20 03 39 62
4. Subtotal 179 49 1,581 1,809
5. None of the above 00 00 00 00
6. Subtotal 179 49 1,581 1,809
7. Nonrespondent 05 07 09 21
8. Total 184 56 1,590 1,830
9. Performance on this measure 86.89% 82.14% 97.04% 95.57%
ACL Performance Measure 85%
Met/Not Met Met

Overall Access Performance Measure

Access Performance Measures
Response Primary Purpose for Which AT is Needed Total
Education Employment Community Living
Decided that AT device/service will meet needs 62 45 182 289
Decided that an AT device/ service will not meet needs 13 09 27 49
Subtotal 75 54 209 338
Have not made a decision 10 05 12 27
Subtotal 85 59 221 365
Nonrespondent 04 04 07 15
Total 89 63 228 380
Performance on this measure 88.24% 91.53% 94.57% 92.6%
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 99.96% 95% Met
Response Rate 98.12% 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 124
Family Members, Guardians and Authorized Representatives 20
Representatives of Education 217
Representatives of Employment 261
Rep Health, Allied Health, and Rehabilitation 507
Representatives of Community Living 46
Representatives of Technology 09
Unable to Categorize 00
TOTAL 1,184

Geographic Distribution of Participants
Metro Non Metro Unknown TOTAL
825 359 00 1,184

B. Educational/Training Activity Topics

Educational/Training Activities by Topic
Primary Topic of Educational/Training Activities Participants
AT Products/Services 894
AT Funding/Policy/ Practice 209
Combination of any/all of the above 13
Information Technology/Telecommunication Access 60
Transition 08
Total 1,184

C. Description of Educational/Training Activities

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

NMTAP provided a high-impact training to the University of New Mexico’s Medical Residents Training Curriculum Program on the topic of Assistive Technology (AT). Along with an Occupational Therapist from the University of New Mexico, NMTAP provided an in-depth break down on what AT is, the Human Activity Assistive Technology Model (HAAT), and AT resources that can be found within the state of New Mexico. The training concluded with a hands-on opportunity for the residents to experience the AT for themselves along with a competency quiz to test their learned knowledge. This is part of an first of it's kind innovative series in New Mexico to better train our future doctors to work better with individuals with a wide variety of functional challenges. The goal of this accreditation is to be duplicated in other universities.

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

NMTAP provided training to Parents Reaching Out, an organization for parents advocating with their children in schools. They hold monthly virtual workshops designed for parents and children with functional challenges. This training session highlighted tools that will aid students in transition and those that struggle with various reading and learning obstacles. NMTAP staff trained on a variety of Assistive Technology (AT) devices such as pens that scan over words to read them aloud, visual magnification devices, mobile applications for literacy, and built-in accessibility tools to assist those with reading. Parents were able to leave this training with a better understanding of the AT tools available for their children and how they can be helpful with their transition between grade levels and after schooling ends.

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

NMTAP provided Information Communication Technology (ICT) training to the New Mexico Early Childhood Education and Care Department (ECECD) as part of their Community Equity Learning Series. Provided on multiple occasions, this training was regarding document accessibility and was designed to help increase the knowledge and competencies of staff charged with managing website content and document creation. Training went into detail on the laws pertinent to making accessible documents and how it benefits people with and without challenges in reading, seeing, or understanding. The final portion of the training went into great depth on step-by-step fixes for Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Adobe PDF. The staff were able to take this knowledge and apply it to those they serve, creating better access to their services for anyone with any functional challenges.

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 53
Training or Technical Assistance will be developed or implemented 03
No known outcome at this time 04
Nonrespondent 00
Total 60
Performance Measure Percentage 93.3%
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 00%
Employment 00%
Health, Allied Health, Rehabilitation 00%
Community Living 00%
Technology (IT, Telecom, AT) 100%
Total 100%

B. Description of Technical Assistance

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

NMTAP staff provided training and guidance to a local Marketing and Advertising group regarding challenges to access websites by individuals with vision, reading, and cognitive challenges. With a desire to ensure their services were available to anyone who may not understand information, they asked for help to improve the distribution of their available services. Training was provided on how these challenges are a barrier to understanding services and detailed options to remedy their website and documents. Detailed instructions to review outgoing information and how to make it understandable to all were provided to their staff. They were very pleased to ensure their potential consumers could utilize their services with all the programmatic changes we assisted them with making. Within months there was an increase in requests for services and helping the community to thrive.

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

C. Notes:

A common misconception with agencies and groups is that the website builders will automatically adhere to accessibility laws but the advances of technology and finer details are not always practiced. Also, there is a notable difference between knowing requirements and actually understanding why they are important to all types of users which is priceless and much needed in our state. Together we make services accessible!

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. The New Mexico Public Education Department hosted a Parent University event. These events are designed to equip New Mexico families with the knowledge, resources, and tools to navigate special education services and supports. NMTAP had an information table at one of the largest Parent University events held in the state. We were able to briefly show devices to parents and educate 55 people about our services. More of the over 200 attendees picked up information as well. Parent University is important for familiies to support students' success in education.

2.

Information And Assistance

Information And Assistance Activities by Recipient
Types of Recipients AT Device/
Service		 AT Funding Total
Individuals with Disabilities 81 07 88
Family Members, Guardians and Authorized Representatives 17 01 18
Representative of Education 14 01 15
Representative of Employment 15 00 15
Representative of Health, Allied Health, and Rehabilitation 37 05 42
Representative of Community Living 09 00 09
Representative of Technology 04 00 04
Unable to Categorize 17 00 17
Total 194 14 208

Referral Types:

A rehabilitation unit within one of our managed care organizations has consistently maintained a connection with our program. This year we provided another training course for the Occupational Therapists and Speech Language Pathologists on that rehabilitation unit. They refer their clients to our services as well as borrow devices themselves when working with their clients. The result of direct device demonstrations and device loans to professionals and other individuals benefit those recovering from life challenges.

Referral Sources:

There is an Ophthalmologist in New Mexico who we have a built an interesting collaborative relationship with. One of her patients independently contacted us for information which led to engaging in device demonstrations and device loans. After being satisfied with opur services and some of borrowed devices, she told the doctor about us. This doctor began to refer her patients with a variety of visual impairments to us, so we reached out to solidify the connection. About 15% of our calls for information are referrals from this doctor to pair AT with the doctor’s plans. Several other patients of hers have also received demonstrations and device loans of special lenses, magnifiers, and mobile device applications through our program. We are fortunate that New Mexico continues to be a word-of-mouth state despite the size and majority of rural areas. We will continue to nurture this relationship and hope to expand to other ophthalmologists.

Notes:

Inquires for general information reduced this year while direct device demonstrations and device loans increased. We did have staff shortages, but the correlation is not clear. We will work with our technical assistance to review reporting and analyze what may be happening.

Coordination/Collaboration and State Improvement Outcomes

Overview of Coordination/Collaboration Activities

Yes
Yes
We were invited to provide information tables of our services at three events hosted by the Office of Special Education (OSE) within the Public Education Department around the state. This year’s events also focused on educating Special Education professionals and local educators to enhance their skills and knowledge in supporting students with disabilities in addition to information for parents, students, and the community. With an intended audience for professional development as a new initiative, staff delved into quick trials of Assistive Technology (AT) devices available and details of our services. No additional funds were required.
While these one-day events continued to have time specific for the families, connecting directly to the professionals resulted in them utilizing our services across the state. Professionals having information on current AT is a necessary approach to expand services to students and we will continue to collaborate with the OSE. Follow up discussions indicate this professional focus will continue between OSE and our program. With added grant funds, more of these hands-on events in rural areas could increase.

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

Education, Employment, Transition (school to work or congregate care to community),

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

Device Loan, Demo, State Financing, Information & Assistance, Public Awareness,
Yes
Yes
An intergovernmental agreement with our state Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Agency was finalized in the Winter of 2024 and activities kicked off with AT trainings for all VR offices in February 2025. We were set to provide four, one in each quadrant of the state, and ended up providing five with great attendance by VR Counselors and VR Technicians from all areas. Funds from the state VR Agency were provided, which increased coordination of services between our program and VR.
After training on how to access our services for free device demonstrations, device loans, and AT Evaluations, every attendee also had training on specific AT for work and school with hands-on experiences. This resulted in an increase in referrals by VR Counselors to utilize our services despite a large turnover in VR employees. This agreement has been renewed with funding for the next two years, and we anticipate collaboration to continue to increase.Consistent training and presentations directly to offices are needed to improve VR staff awareness.

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

Education, Employment, Transition (school to work or congregate care to community),

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

Device Loan, Demo, Reuse, State Financing, Training, Information & Assistance, Public Awareness,
Yes
Yes
We presented information on accessing our services with hands-on experiences of Assistive Technology (AT) for seniors at another County Senior Services Wellness Fair. More than 200 seniors attended and talked about options for vision, hearing and kitchen AT with staff. As an extension of the state Aging Agency services, this was held at a senior center and engagement with seniors was robust. With added grant funds this could be duplicated in rural areas of the state.
Discussions about training opportunities and other public awareness events continue. We did receive inquiries from individual seniors that attended, as well as a request from an individual connected with an Assisted Living facility for a direct presentation. Some individuals reached out for more information but extended into other areas involved in life for seniors within that Assisted Living facility. Outreach to all levels of long-term services provides more opportunities for our aging population.

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

Community Participation and Integration, Recreation/Leisure, Health, Aging, Aging and Disability Network/No Wrong Door,

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

Device Loan, Demo, Reuse, State Financing, Information & Assistance, Public Awareness,
Yes
Yes
Staff provided Assistive Technology (AT) training to a group of Board-Certified Behavioral Analysts (BCBAs) with a Medicaid funded Behavioral Health agency. Information on how to access our services was included in the presentation and resulted in an ongoing relationship with those professionals. Children with Autism challenges benefited. No additional funding was used for this initiative but would be needed to expand into rural areas of the state.
Many of the BCBAs continue to borrow devices directly for their clients as well as refer parents to our program for information, device demonstrations, and device loans. Research shows that early intensive behavioral intervention leads to improvements in communication, social skills, and adaptive behavior when initiated during the early years of development in children with Autism. This is a successful collaboration that continues to improve lives. With added grant funds this could be duplicated in rural areas of the state.

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

Education, Community Participation and Integration, Health, Transition (school to work or congregate care to community),

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

Device Loan, Demo, State Financing, Training, Information & Assistance, Public Awareness,
Additional Coordination/Collaboration activities 1

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?

Staff provided training on Assistive Technology (AT) in conjunction with a speech generating device vendor that was offered to everyone in our statewide database, including professionals and individuals living with challenges. Several professional attendees from that event reached out for information in their areas of services. One attendee requested a public awareness tour for herself and other professionals of the health insurance hearing institute she worked in. Audiologists and Speech Language Therapist enjoyed looking at other AT we had to offer. There was no added funding used to provide this specific device training that benefited individuals from all over the state.

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 expanded coordination with the professionals from the hearing specialty within a managed care organization resulted in more inquiries beyond speech generating devices for their clients. While our approach to access AT is not specific to any one vendor of equipment, it was great to see that vendor specific training opened interest in AT from other vendors. Other individuals who attended were from the local public school, a rural public school and a sign language charter school. As this training was done in our office location, with additional grant funds we would love to do similar events in the rural areas of our state.

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

Education; Employment; Community Participation and Integration; Recreation / Leisure; Health; Aging;

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

Device Loan; Demonstration; Reuse; State Financing; Information & Assistance; 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? 00

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$195,383Device LoanTrue
Federal$17,160DemonstrationTrue
Amount: $212,543

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.

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).

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This FY24 State AT Program Annual Progress Report was exported from the National Assistive Technology Act Data System (NATADS). NATADS was developed with partial support from the Center for Assistive Technology Act Data Assistance.