Utah Assistive Technology Program

More Information

Project Website

Project Staff

• Martin E. Blair
• Alma J Burgess
• Alma J Burgess
• Clay Christensen
• Marilyn Hammond
• Faye Hauser
• Amy Henningsen
• Michael Moreno
• Sachin D. Pavithran
• Storee Powell
• Daniel Roberts
• Lois Summers
• Lois Summers
• Zachary Thompson
• Monica Urrutia

Project Details

Project Context The Utah Assistive Technology Program is an initiative of the CPD, located on the USU campus. The UATP gets assistive technology (AT) into the hands of people in Utah who need it.

Assistive technology is 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 individuals with disabilities. AT is tools and resources used by individuals with disabilities to help improve their quality of life and increase their independence in education, employment, and in community settings.

Project Focus

UATP serves individuals with disabilities of all ages in Utah and the intermountain region. It provides AT devices and services, and trains university students, parents, children with disabilities and professional service providers about AT. They coordinate their services with community organizations and others who provide independence-related support to individuals with disabilities. They maintain a website, http://wwwuatp.org/ , that offers resources and information about AT devices.

Project Services/Products
AT Laboratory. Services provided by the AT Lab include:
- Device Demonstration and Equipment Lending
- Training on Construction of Simple, Low Cost Assistive Devices
- Maintenance and Repair Assistive Technologies
- Training on Adaptive Computer Technologies
- Development of Prototype Devices
- Wheelchair Evaluation
- Communication Device Evaluation and Training

AT State Financing.
Through the community-based Utah Assistive Technology Foundation (UATF) (http://www.uatf.org), UATP supports two different state financing activities: (1) low interest loan and loan guarantee programs in conjunction with Zion's Bank; and (2) an Access to Telework program in coordination with the same partners

AT Reutilization Program. The UATP assists individuals with disabilities to acquire AT through reutilization efforts by implementing the statewide Citizens Reutilizing Assistive Technology Equipment (CReATE) program. This occurs at their CReATE facility in Salt Lake City, in collaboration with the Utah Center for Assistive Technology, and at the AT Lab in Logan, Utah. A current inventory list of AT devices available at the CReATE warehouse can be found at http://www.uatpat.org/create/.

Student Assistive Technology Design Program. Under the direct supervision of certified AT Practitioners, engineering faculty and clinical therapists, undergraduate engineering students from USU collaborate with students from the USU departments of Special Education and Rehabilitation and Communicative Disorders to assess the technology needs of individuals with disabilities in northern Utah and develop technology solutions to those needs. Funding for this program comes from the M.S. Eccles Foundation.

AT Demonstration. The UATP provides technical assistance to AT demonstration centers located in Centers on Independent Living (CILs) statewide and maintains a virtual network of these demonstration centers so consumers have a single point of contact to access AT devices and services in Utah. UATP also provides individuals with disabilities and service providers statewide with direct and indirect device demonstrations using a variety of distance education technologies.

AT Training. UATP implements a minimum of four, in person AT training activities each year and conducts online training to AT provider programs statewide in an effort to enhance expertise in providing consumer-responsive AT services.

State Leadership Activities: UATP offers 3-5 AT training academies annually and conducts technical assistance to AT provider programs statewide in an effort to enhance expertise in providing consumer-responsive AT services. UATP provides updated resources for Access Utah Network (a statewide information and referral service), regular press releases, updated website information, and provider and consumer-focused publications about AT in a variety of mediums. In addition, UATP staff participates in a variety of state level boards, commissions and committees representing AT policy issues. Staff advocates for improved AT services and supports.

FY 2011 Focus
UATP will continue to provide AT equipment to those individuals with disabilities in Utah who need it. UATP supports the activities of the UATF and will use distance education technologies to provide training and device demonstrations to Utahns in rural and remote areas.
During the next year, UATP is focusing on expanding the CReATE program and ensuring that it is used by individuals with disabilities as a low-cost alternative for acquiring high-quality, safe mobility equipment such as wheelchairs and electric scooters.