HEARING ON ASSISTIVE DEVICES FOR AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES TUESDAY, MAY 10, 1988 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE ON SELECT EDUCATION, Washington, DC. The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:10 a.m., in room 2257, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Major R. Owens (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding. Members present: Representatives Owens, Bartlett, and Jeffords. Staff present: Laurence Peters, Bob Tate, Pat Laird, Jillian Evans, and Gary Granofsky. Mr. OWENS. The hearing of the Subcommittee on Select Education will come to order. Today we are considering assistive devices for Americans with disabilities. Modern technology has leaped ahead of national policy and legislation for people with disabilities. There is an urgent need for the Congress and the Government to run fast and catch up with technology. Very practical and profitable dividends will result from this long overdue effort to maximize the utilization of technology by Ameri cans. In addition to creating a better life for millions of individuals, the national economy will benefit from the participation of a new cadre of highly motivated and talented workers. The national treasury will benefit by the taxes paid by this new work force. And the Nation's taxpayers will benefit from the millions of dollars of Social Security payments that will be saved. This hearing is vital to the process of delivering the people with disabilities in this Nation from the Stone Age neglect of the benefits of technology. The Nation that placed a man on the moon has an obligation to put the state of the art for disabled people within the reach of every citizen who needs it. The technology of today has freed many disabled people from a life of dependency by enabling even those with the most severe physical impairments to participate fully in education, employment and community activities. Particularly innovative are electronic communications devices which aid those unable to speak in expressing themselves. Environmental control devices permit mobility impaired persons to operate telephones, kitchen and other household appliances. Spe (1) cially adapted writing aids allow those with limited hand function to control the use of pencils, paint brushes or crayons. However, many such assistive devices used in educational, recreational and employment settings are not available to most disabled children or adults because there is not a centralized system to link the technology to those who need it. Today's hearing will explore ways to promote widespread availability of assistive devices. We'll look at how and whether the cost of such devices are prohibitive, and how to go about solving that problem. We'll look at what devices exist, what companies make such devices, how to disseminate information about these devices, and what role the States have in coordinating such services leading to the distribution of these products. There is legislation pending in Congress which addresses many of these concerns by calling for a comprehensive approach that would allow States to develop the capacity to provide technology and related assistance, create a national information referral network, and promote applied research development and training. This kind of approach would ensure that existing technology and future advances would be more accessible to people with disabilities. If disabled Americans are to take control of their lives and work toward full democratic participation in society, they must be afforded the means of doing so. Access to appropriate assistive devices is a key determinant to whether disabled Americans become active participants in society, able to achieve their highest potential in all the areas of life's endeavors, or whether they are forced into helpless dependency. Disabled Americans no longer have to be prisoners of their impairments. Through the miracles of modern technology, it is possible to bring in a wider range of disabled people who have so far been shut off from a variety of opportunities. We must do everything that we can to get these assistive devices into the hands of Americans with disabilities so that they can begin to master their own fates. I yield to the ranking member, Mr. Bartlett, for an opening statement. [The prepared statement of Hon. Major R. Owens follows:] OPENING STATEMENT OF CHAIRMAN MAJOR R. OWENS Modern technology has leaped ahead of national policy and legislation for people with disabilities. There is an urgent need to run fast and catch up with technology. Very practical and profitable dividends will result from this long overdue effort to maximize the utilization of technology by disabled Americans. In addition to creating a better life for millions of individuals, the national economy will benefit by the participation of a new cadre of highly motivated and talented workers. The national treasury will benefit from the taxes paid by this new work force. And the Nation's taxpayers will benefit from the millions of dollars in Social Security payments that will be saved. This hearing is vital to the process of delivering the people with disabilities of this Nation from the stone age neglect of the benefits of technology. The Nation that placed a man on the Moon has an obligation to put the state-of-the-art in technology for disabled people within reach of every citizen who needs it. The technology of today has freed many disabled people from a life of dependency, by enabling even those with the most severe physical impairments to participate fully in education, employment, and community activity. Particularly innovative are electronic communications devices which aid those unable to speak to express themselves; environmental control devices which permit mobility-impaired persons to operate telephones, kitchen and other household appliances; and specially adapt ed writing aids which allow those with limited hand function to control the use of a pencil, paint brush, or crayons. However, many such assistive devices used in educational, recreational, and employment settings are not available to most disabled children or adults because there is no centralized system to link the technology to those who need it. In today's hearing, we will explore ways to promote widespread availability of assistive devices. We will look at how and whether the costs of such devices are prohibitive and how to go about solving that problem. We will look at what devices exist; what companies make such devices; how to disseminate information about these devices; and what role the States have in coordinating services leading to the distribution of these products. There is legislation pending in Congress which addresses many of these concerns by calling for a comprehensive approach that would allow for States to develop the capacity to provide technology and related assistance, create a national information and referral network, and promote applied research, development and training. This kind of approach will ensure that existing technology and future advances will be more accessible to people with disabilities. If disabled Americans are to take control of their lives and work toward full democratic participation in society, they must be afforded the means for doing so. Access to appropriate assistive devices is the key determinant to whether disabled Americans become active participants in society, able to achieve their highest potential in all areas of life's endeavors, or whether they are forced into helpless dependency. Disabled Americans no longer have to be "prisoners" of their impairments. Through the miracle of modern technology, it is possible to bring in a wider range of disabled people wo have so far been shut out from a variety of opportunities. We must do everything we can to get these assistive devices into the hands of disabled Americans so that they can begin to "master their own fates." Mr. BARTLETT. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I particularly want to thank you, Chairman Owens, for holding these hearings, so that the subcommittee can look at ways to get technology out and look at this technology itself. We want to get this technology to every disabled person who can benefit from that technology. This technology exists, but it is neither widely accessible nor widely known. I hope that the testimony from this hearing will provide us with at least some of the answers on how to obtain technology related assistance for people with disabilities. I don't believe that the answer to the problem is to create another bureaucracy at either the Federal or the State level, though. Congressman Jeffords and I are working on another approach, which we have shared with Chairman Owens and are working on with him and with this subcommittee. This is an approach that would be in a piece of legislation that would establish and expand the existing capacity of agencies and other entities within States to help persons with disabilities acquire information about technology and obtain assistance in purchasing, using, maintaining, adapting and upgrading technology products. Our proposal's goal would be to provide direct assistance to States, establishing a national information and referral network, support research and development activities, recognize and promote initiatives in the private sector, and provide a demonstration loan program for persons with disabilities to obtain a job, or for employers who wish to hire persons with disabilities. These activities are essential if the Federal Government is going to impact the use of Federal and non-Federal dollars in a complimentary way which promotes access to technology for persons with disabilities. The role of the Federal Government in providing technology related assistance to persons with disabilities should be to increase coordination among existing services, systems and manufacturers that currently provide assistance to persons with disabilities. If the Federal Government is going to serve as an effective catalyst, a comprehensive approach is necessary if we want to reach every person with a disability that could use technology related assistance. I want to welcome all of our witnesses to the subcommittee today, and I'm confident that the testimony that we hear today will be able to tell us if we're moving in the right direction. I'm particularly pleased that Dr. Al Cavalier, a fellow Texan, is testifying before us today. Dr. Cavalier is the director of bioengineering at the Association for Retarded Citizens in Arlington, Texas. He and his staff have been instrumental in taking existing technology and adapting it to the needs of people with multihandicaps, especially those with mental retardation. One of the problems that exist in providing technology to people with disabilities is that many providers do not know what exists, or how to adapt a piece of equipment to a particular individual need. Dr. Cavalier will demonstrate today how adapting existing technology can open new doors for mentally retarded people and allow them to lead a more independent and productive life. Information about and access to technology can have a dramatic effect on a disabled persons' life. For most of us, technology makes things easier, but for persons with disabilities, technology makes things possible. Technology allows a person with disabilities to transcend limitations and become a full participant in their education, their job, and their community. Technology can provide eyes for persons with visual impairments, ears for the hearing impaired, and a voice where there was once silence. We as lawmakers, parents, providers, teachers, physicians and employers must find the key to unlock the door to technology accessibility. In addition, providers, teachers, and employers must be trained in the procedures to use and maintain assistive devices. Technology is useless to people with disabilities if no one can teach them how to use it, maintain it, or upgrade it. This hearing is the beginning of that process, and I hope that witnesses can provide the subcommittee with the information we need to help people with disabilities obtain technology, which will improve their lives. I thank the Chairman for the time. Mr. OWENS. I yield to Mr. Jeffords for an opening statement. Mr. JEFFORDS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and I deeply appreciate the holding of these hearings. Many of our colleagues took an important step on April 29 when we introduced the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1988. The ADA will cause many of the forms of discrimination against persons with disabilities to be lessened and eventually eliminated. This hearing today is another important step. We will have an opportunity to learn about, and to share with others, the positive effects of technology on the lives of persons with disabilities. Tech nology will play a critical role in removing barriers associated with handicaps and discrimination. Thus, now is the right time to collect the facts about technology and to develop the right Federal role in promoting and understanding the availability and use of technology by persons with disabilities. We know some facts already, and have used them to shape a tentative Federal role in the proposed legislation, the Technology Related Assistance for Persons with Disabilities Act. The testimony that we receive today will let us know whether or not we are on the right track. Would it be appropriate to establish a competitive grant program for States to assist service providers to increase their capacity to help persons with disabilities acquire the use of technology? How important is a national information and referral network in technology? How can the Federal Government encourage greater private sector involvement in research and development in limited markets? Would it be useful to educate employers in the benefits of technology in the workplace, and is a revolving loan program a viable way to increase funds for the purchase of technology by persons with disabilities and their employers? As you know, we have tackled these central questions in our draft legislation. I anticipate that the testimony that we receive today will help strengthen our draft and make us able to work with our Senate colleagues to be able to introduce and pass technology legislation during the remaining days of this Congress. We could choose to wait, or to take a piecemeal approach. We could assume that Federal intervention is not needed, and we could assume that the need for technology by persons with disabilities is overstated. If we wait, will we receive credit for caution? If we respond with limited solutions, will we be viewed as advocates for equity? If we say targeted Federal assistance and direction is not part of the answer, will we be part of the solution? If we contend that the magnitude of the need is a reflection of speculation and not fact, will our credibility be unchallenged? Quite simply, the answers are no. Mr. Chairman, by holding this hearing, you have given us an opportunity and a basis for momentum, and a challenge to deliver. Working together, we can. Mr. OWENS. Thank you, Mr. Jeffords. Our first panel consists of Mr. Tommy Dormer, Ms. Janice Adams, Ms. Margaret Bibum, the Deputy Director of Deafpride, Judge Leonard Suchanek, and Mr. Howard Stone. Will you please take seats? Most of you have submitted written testimony, and that written testimony will be entered in its entirety into the record. We hope that you can confine your oral remarks to just the highlights of your testimony. There will be bells ringing after 7 minutes, and we'd like you to conclude your testimony at that time. Our first witness is a very busy young man, and will have to leave shortly after he testifies. We're going to take his testimony |