Both the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 (AT Act of 1998) and the Assistive Technology Act of 2004, as amended (AT Act of 2004) require that the Secretary of Education submit to Congress a report on the activities funded under those respective acts. This document satisfies these requirements for FY 2004 and FY 2005 and reports on the activities of two programs authorized under the AT Act of 1998 and AT Act of 2004:

1. State Grants for Assistive Technology (AT), which provides grants for state programs designed to increase access to and acquisition of AT for individuals with disabilities; and
    
   
2. Alternative Financing Programs (AFP), which provides grants to support loan programs that help individuals with disabilities purchase AT devices and services.

The document is divided into Parts I and II. Part I of the document is divided into two sections:

1. The first section of Part I focuses on activities of the State Grants for AT program during FY 2004 under the AT Act of 1998. The data are presented in graphics, tables and text. Among the topics covered are: how many and what types of individuals received AT-related training and technical assistance from programs; how programs increased public awareness of AT; how many and the types of agencies with which programs coordinated activities; how AT-related outreach was conducted by programs; what kinds of alternative financing mechanisms for the purchase of AT were made available by programs and the use of alternative financing; how many states offered device demonstrations, recycling, exchange, and lending; consumer satisfaction with programs; and how many states achieved AT-related legislative or policy changes through their activities, the policy areas affected by those changes, and examples of changes.
    
   
2. The second section of Part I focuses on activities of the State Grants for AT program during FY 2005 under the AT Act of 2004. This information is presented mostly as text. Among the topics covered are: how states developed state plans for AT to describe how they would implement a statewide AT program consistent with the amendments to the AT Act; an analysis based on these state plans describing how states intend to implement the state-level and state leadership activities required by the AT Act of 2004; an explanation of how measurable goals were developed for the State Grants for AT program.

Part II of the document focuses on the activities for both FY 2004 and 2005 of alternative financing programs (AFP) authorized under Title III of the AT Act of 1998. The data are presented in tables and text. Among the topics covered are: state-by-state data on features of financial loans available for the purchase of AT; state-by-state data on structures of AFP; state-by-state and national data on how many loans have been provided and for what amount; national data on characteristics of recipients of loans; national data on what kinds of AT the loans purchased

COMPLETE REPORT

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