What is an ATP, and why you should work with one

by Fred Tchang, ATP and Director, Assistive Technology Services in New Jersey

People working in the field of assistive technology have many different backgrounds--education, technology, therapy.  The one credential that unites us is the RESNA Assistive Technology Professional (ATP). 

How does a credential differ from a training course?  Training courses are great for learning new material. The ATP is not a training course—it is a credential that recognizes professionals who have reached an internationally accepted standard of knowledge in assistive technology.  The certification process includes work/education eligibility, the passing of a 200-item examination, and an on-going commitment to practice at the highest ethical standard in the field of assistive technology. 

Why do people seek to earn the ATP?  Earning an ATP identifies the certificant as a trustworthy, dedicated expert.  Those who hold the ATP credential are listed on RESNA’s website for easy identification and referral.  An ATP certified professional takes a holistic approach to every situation, assessing your situation and influences, and then determining what equipment will enable you to optimize your life at home, school, work and in the community.

Know where to find an RESNA certified AT professional (ATP)? Visit www.resna.org and click on “Find a Certified AT Professional.” 

Show Us Your AT!

By Allan Friedman, CFILC's Technologies Manager


Most of us tend to think about big things in AT--communication devices, wheelchairs, ramps, iPads, computer screenreaders. But it's the little things, low-tech improvisations, that often mean the most to users of assistive technology. Whether it's taping a stick to a hair brush to extend one's reach or hanging a pull cord on a door knob, simple devices that people fashion for themselves tend to be extremely useful and valued.


Necessity is the mother of invention and people with disabilities, especially those with limited incomes and resources, are always inventing solutions for themselves. We'd like to share those  solutions with others. By sharing our creativity we can inspire others and perhaps provide a bright idea for someone who is stymied by their limitations.


We'd like you to share your AT solutions with us so we can share them with others via the AT Network website. If you've got a favorite gadget or device that you have put together and depend on, write us at feedback@atnet.org and tell us about it. Better yet, send pictures! We will share your ideas by posting them in the "How to Succeed with AT" section of our website. Together we'll show people that creativity and AT go hand in hand when it comes to providing functional solutions to functional needs.

A Good Idea Gone Bad

by Allan Friedman, CFILC's Technologies Manager


Competitive bidding sounds like a good idea, right? Get the lowest price and the best deal. Save money. What could go wrong?


Plenty, especially when it's Medicare running the process and durable medical equipment (DME) vendors doing the bidding. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Competitive Bidding Program for certain Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetics, Orthotics, and Supplies (DMEPOS) is causing havoc in the home healthcare industry.


The Medicare Modernization act of 2003 (MMA) required Medicare to replace the Home Medical Equipment (HME) payment fee schedule for certain items with a "competitive acquisition" or government contracting program. The program was implemented on January 1, 2011 in nine cities (including the Riverside/Bakersfield area) and will expand to 91 metropolitan areas later this year in round 2.


In California, round 2 cities include: Bakersfield, Fresno, LA-Long Beach-Santa Ana, Sacramento-Roseville, San Diego-Carlsbad-San Marco, SF-Oakland-Fremont, San Jose-Sunnyvale-Santa Clara and Visalia-Porterville.


So what's wrong with the competitive bidding program? Well, for starters it is driving suppliers out of business, limiting choice for consumers, lengthening hospital stays and causing much grief for consumers.


As a result of the bidding process, many vendors who provide a variety of home healthcare products and DME were awarded contracts to supply a single item or none at all. In some areas, out-of-state vendors won contracts to supply products, forcing consumers to drive long distances or rely on mail order to obtain supplies and products they previously purchased locally.


Hospital discharge planners are delaying releases because they cannot match patients to contracted providers with the appropriate products such as wheelchairs, oxygen equipment and sleep therapy devices.


One Medicare recipient was waiting for her diabetes test strips for more than two weeks and could no longer receive them from her original provider since the company was not contracted. Another patient needs oxygen 24 hours a day and relies on portable oxygen to visit her physician. Her HME company did not win a contract and the user needs physician approval to switch to a different company. She has no access to oxygen and cannot visit her physician.


So what can we do? For starters, Consumers in the Riverside-San Bernardino area who have been affected by this program need to tell their stories. At the AAHomecare’s website (http://www.aahomecare.org/) They can click on the ‘Competitive Bid Problems?’ button and provide feedback on how their access to home healthcare products and services has been affected by the program.


We also need to get behind HR 1041 and urge its passage before the program expands to round 2 later this year. HR 1041 would roll back the flawed pilot project and institute an up-to-date and fair pricing schedule defining what Medicare will pay for certain equipment. The bill has 132 cosigners, none from California. Advocates, consumers and others who are concerned, should write their representatives in Congress and urge them to cosign the bill.


A lot of Californians are already experiencing difficulties as a result of this program. Many more will unless we join the national effort to stop it. The time to advocate is now!

The Future of Robotic Vacuum Cleaners

By Shannon Coe, CFILC’s Reuse & Finance Coordinator

Yesterday, as our country celebrated Independence Day with friends and family, I also got to enjoy a clean Independence Day with my husband and friends with the help of Wally.  No, Wally is not a dog or a cat.  He is cleaner than any dog or fury pet because Wally is a Robotic Vacuum Cleaner.  Think of Rosie the Robot from the Jetsons, a cartoon I used to watch in grade school.  I can’t believe the future has arrived for us to have a robot that cleans the floor.  Of course, Wally looks nothing like Rosie but he has helped me gain more independence. 

As a wheelchair user, I have difficulty vacuuming and sweeping while pushing my wheelchair at the same time.  Since I always feel exhausted after trying to vacuum, I rarely do it and delegate the responsibility to my husband.  But with our busy schedules, we don’t have the time to clean the dust bunnies underneath our bed or the dirt on the floor left by my wheelchair every day. 

We programmed Wally to clean the floors everyday while we are away at work.  Since then we have not seen any dirt or dust bunnies.  Sometimes Wally gets stuck underneath the kitchen counter and we have to bring him back to his charging station, but once he is charged up, he goes back to work. 

Before we purchased Wally, we did some research online and found that there were a few brands out there that sell robotic vacuum cleaners.  Of course, none of them are cheap, but a good vacuum cleaner is never cheap.  After much research, we went to Fry’s Electronics store and bought the Neato Robotics. After watching some YouTube videos comparing the different brands out in the market, we decided that the Neato was much more methodical in how it cleans so it does not bump into the furniture as often.  Basically, the Neato is programmed to scan the room and start vacuuming without me having to hold or control it.  When the dirt bin is full, it is also easy for me to empty it.  Wally has definitely made my life less stressful.

Other brands of Robotic Vacuum Cleaners include:

Samsung’s Navibot and the Roomba iRobot.

To get an idea what Robotic Vacuum Cleaners can do, you can watch it on You Tube.

Do you consider Robots to be a friend or foe in the world of Assistive Technology?

A Ramp Up to Accessing 21st Century Communication Technology

By Shannon Ramsay, CFILC's Information and Assistance Advocate

So many of the ways that we communicate vital information are not fully accessible to people with disabilities. The 21^st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 (from here forward referred to as “the Act”) was signed into law by President Obama on October 8, 2010 to give people with disabilities access to these communications services.  This overview article is the first in a series of posts which will explain the provisions of the Act.

 The act is broken down into two major sections, each of which is made up of several subparts.  In the first major section, the act addresses barriers to communication technology, such as the incompatibility of smart phones with hearing aids and inaccessibility of content on the Internet.  The second major section of the act focuses on increasing access to video programming through closed captioning and audio description.          

             

Currently, many of us who wear hearing aids experience interference on certain types of phones, such as smart phones, or we are not able to hear the sounds on the phone clearly enough. These incompatibilities cause us to miss critical pieces of information which are necessary for us to communicate effectively. I have experienced situations in which I have needed to take my hearing aids out to hear conversations on my phone.  There are provisions in the first section of the act which address the problem of hearing aid compatibility with certain types of phones.     

Right now a large amount of online information is still not easily within the reach of people with disabilities.  We are denied equal access to information about employment and educational opportunities because far too many websites are still not designed with screen reader access or closed captioning integrated into their design.  Also, many times assistive technology comes into conflict with Internet hardware and software preventing web access. Provisions are stated in the first section of the Act to reduce these barriers and to make it possible for us to check e-mail, shop for music, apply for jobs, follow the latest news, and track the amount of funds we have in our bank accounts as easily as our peers without disabilities.

Frequently, people with disabilities become stranded and lose access to the technology and personal assistance we need during disasters such as floods and earthquakes because emergency information is not presented in an accessible format. The first section of the Act includes provisions to ensure that emergency service providers make information about disasters and disaster relief services accessible through audio description and closed captioning.  In the second section, the Act states that an emergency information advisory committee should be established to come up with the best methods for increasing access to emergency information.

Furthermore, the first section of the Act contains provisions requiring the establishment  of a relay system which will assist deaf individuals to communicate more easily by phone with people who can hear.  The first section also includes requirements for the distribution of communications equipment for people who are deaf-blind. 

 The second major section of the Act mandates that video programming must be made more accessible through the increased availability of closed captioning and audio description.  

 All of the provisions of this act are intended to set new standards so that Americans with disabilities can take advantage of the technology our economy depends on.  This is especially important in today's job market when every worker needs the necessary skills to compete for the jobs of the future. 

 If you would like to get more information about the history of the law and read the entire text of the 21^st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010, click here. 

What barriers have you encountered to communications services and video programming and how do you think this act will help you overcome them?