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Under the Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA) Amendments of 1997, the team that develops an individual education program (IEP) for a child must consider whether the child requires assistive technology devices and services. IDEA defines assistive technology in the following ways: "The term 'assistive technology device' means 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 functional capabilities of a child with a disability." "The term 'assistive technology service' means any services that directly assists a child with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistance technology device." Such term includes:
- The evaluation of the needs of such child, including a functional evaluation of the child in the child's customary environment;
- Purchasing, leasing, or otherwise providing for the acquisition of assistive technology devices by such child;
- Selecting, designing, fitting, customizing, adapting, applying, maintaining, repairing, or replacing of assistive technology devices;
- Coordinating and using other therapies, interventions, or services with assistive technology devices, such as those associated with existing education and rehabilitation plans and programs;
- Training or technical assistance for such child, or where appropriate, the family of such child; and
- Training or technical assistance for professionals (including individuals providing education and rehabilitation services), employers, or other individuals who provide services to, employ, or are otherwise substantially involved in the major life functions of such child.
Funding Sources
Assistive Technology activities are funded by Federal Part B grant dollars provided to the State of Iowa.
Funding Assistive Technology: An Iowa Program for Assistive Technology (IPAT) Resource Manual This manual complies all of the IPAT and COMPASS funding information and is updated on an ongoing basis. You can look for information in two ways, by using the search function in Adobe Reader to look for a specific program by name or by searching for funding sources in the Index by equipment type. For questions, additions or corrections to the manual, contact Iowa COMPASS.
Guiding Practices Quality Indicators for Assistive Technology Services (2006-10-24)
Documents
Assistive Technology FAQs (2008-01-16) - This document has questions and answers about Assistive Technology.
Buy Sell or Trade Assistive Technology (2008-01-16) - This document describes a system of how schools can buy, sell, or trade Assistive Technology.
Summary Report of the Iowa Text Reader Study 2005-2006 2007-04-18 09:45:28
Contacts in your Area
AEA Assistive Technology Contacts (2008-02-15)
Iowa Program for Assistive Technology (IPAT)
IPAT is a statewide program of the Center for Disabilities and Development at the University of Iowa. IPAT's goal is to increase access to assistive technology devices and services across all environments: home, school, work and community. IPAT collaborates with the Iowa Department of Education; Bureau of Children, Family and Community and the Area Education Agencies to improve student access assistive technology and services. To learn about IPAT go to http://www.uiowa.edu/infotech/ . To find out about assistive technology devices and services in Iowa, call Iowa COMPASS at 800-779-2001 or TTY 877-686-0032.
The Iowa Educators Consortium (IEC)
IEC, is an initiative of the Iowa Area Education
Agencies. IEC purchases allow schools to take advantage of aggressive pricing
based on the purchasing volume of many Iowa schools. In addition to aggressive
pricing, the IEC frees valuable LEA staff time in researching and procuring
products. Advisory committees work with vendors, manufacturers, product reviews
and product literature to determine the best product/cost value for schools.
The
IEC offers discounted pricing on a wide variety of products. For information
specific to Assistive Technology go to
http://www.iec-ia.org/ . Click on “Media &
Technology” in the left column and then on “Assistive Technology and Special
Needs.” Audio Visual and computer equipment are located by clicking on “AV
& Computer.” For more information contact:
Jerry
Cochrane, Coordinator
Iowa Educators
Consortium
1120 33rd Avenue SW
Cedar Rapids, IA 52404
Phone: 319-399-6741, (800) 798-9771, Ext. 6741
Fax: 319-399-6474
Email: jcochrane@gwaea.org
IEC Website: www.iec-ia.org
Iowa Center for Assistive Technology Education and Research (ICATER)
ICATER is an assistive technology resource center located within the University of Iowa College of Education that serves the university, as well as communities throughout the state. The Center provides students with disabilities, parents, College of Education students, and education professionals hands-on assistive technology training, information, and materials. ICATER also conducts and collaborates on research projects, resulting in innovative methods and best practices of assistive technology usage. Through these training programs and research projects, ICATER impacts all students with disabilities by providing access to a variety of assistive technology devices, helping them accomplish their educational goals. Please contact us at www.education.uiowa.edu/icater.
Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services
The Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services employs counselors in every area of the state who work with individuals with disabilities in need of employment. As part of those services the counselors connect individuals with disabilities to an Assistive Technology Specialist who will review the individual needs and employment or home demands to provide a comprehensive plan to enhance employment and independent living. The Assistive Technology Specialist also has a network of counselors dedicated to assistive Technology Team (SWATT) to provide a rapid response to immediate needs. In order to access services through the Assistive Technology Specialist interested individuals should contact a Rehabilitation Counselor in their area and request to apply for services. The following lists the area offices and telephone numbers:
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Burlington Area Office - 319-753-2231
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Cedar Rapids, Area Office - 319-294-9308
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Council Bluffs Area Office - 712-328-2168
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Davenport Area Office - 563-445-3280
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Dubuque Area Office - 563-588-4697
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Fort Dodge Area Office - 515-573-8175
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Iowa City Area Office - 319-354-4766
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Mason City Area Office - 641-422-1551
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Ottumwa Area Office - 641-682-7569
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Polk Area Office - 515-281-4211
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Sioux City Area Office - 712-255-8871
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Waterloo Area Office - 319-234-0319
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West Central Area Office (Carroll, Creston) - 515-281-4211
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North Central Area Office (Ames, Marshalltown) - To be determined.
Links
National Instructional Materials Access Center
President George W. Bush signed into law the new Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) at the end of 2004. Several changes will be implemented through this reauthorized legislation that will have a positive impact on how and when blind and other print disabled students throughout the country receive their textbooks in the accessible formats they need, including braille and large print. Of particular significance, a National Instructional Materials Access Center (NIMAC) will be established in Louisville, Kentucky. The NIMAC will receive and catalog publishers' electronic files of print instructional materials in a standard format: the National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS). Experts recently de4veloped the NIMAS across the country for this specific purpose. The center will provide these standardized files to those who have been authorized to obtain the files to produce textbooks and other core print instructional materials for blind, visually impaired and print disabled students across the country. The combination of standard format and a central repository should significantly expedite the time frame in which instructional materials are delivered to students who need them in the classroom.
American Printing House for the Blind, Inc. (APH) is working with the U.S. Department of Education, the Association of American Publishers, the Association of Educational Publishers, the NIMAS Development Centers and many other organizations that produce instructional materials and/or that advocate on behalf of the blind, visually impaired, and print disabled to develop the National Instructional Materials Access Center, and to ensure that appropriate federal funding is secured. It is anticipated that the center will be up and running by December 2006.
http://nimas.cast.org/
Vendors
Reading/Writing
UDL
Communication
Combined AT/Resources
Freeware/Shareware and Activities
Vision
Hearing
AT Information for Part C Onward
Contact
Steve Maurer
steve.maurer@iowa.gov
515-281-3576
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PK-12 Education 
