DEMO AND LOANER PROGRAM

Assistive Technology – AAC – Aids to Daily Living

Technological advances have made remarkable improvements in the financial, employment, educational, social, and day-to-day living aspects of all individuals, including those with disabilities. Technology increases efficiency and can make tasks easier, or even possible, for some. It is a powerful force in the shaping of lives. Assistive technology can ensure that individuals with a wide range of abilities can have meaningful access, and participate in education, employment, activities of daily living, and recreation and leisure.

Assistive technology is defined as “any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially off-the-shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.” By law, educational teams that meet to plan a student’s Individualized Education Program (IEP) must consider assistive technology.

Examples of assistive technology include “smartpens” that capture written and audio notes, apps for Tablets that support organization, speech generating devices with built-in voice output capability, speech recognition software to produce text when speaking, text-to-to speech for listening to text read out loud, screen readers, Braille displays, Talking calculators, various input devices such as trackballs, modified “mice”, joysticks, adapted keyboards and much more.

The ALLTECH Demonstration & Loaner Program is funded in part by Maine CITE. The Maine CITE Coordinating Center is the statewide program designed to help make assistive and universally-designed technology more available to Maine children and adults with disabilities.

Recognizing that assistive technology and adaptive equipment are highly individualized to the needs of each user and that consumers may need to trial various technologies before finding the right fit, ALLTECH offers consumers the opportunity to “try before they buy.”

Contact ALLTECH through the button at the bottom of this page or through our email address if there is something you’d like to trial that may not be on our list. We may be able to assist!

Another helpful resource for assistive technology equipment is the New England online classified service for recycled Assistive Technology. Check it out at www.getATstuff.com.