In her presentation during the 2010 Assistive Technology Fair at the Aqua Resort Club on Wednesday, program coordinator Christie L. Sablan identified the special education program, Vocational Rehabilitation and Medicaid as the three agencies that can provide funding for assistive technology for persons with disabilities.
Assistive technology devices are products, services or equipment that help maintain, increase or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.
But Sablan said funding can only be granted to those who meet the eligibility requirements of the specific programs.
For instance, Sablan said Medicaid will provide medical assistance for individuals whose income and resources are insufficient to meet the costs of necessary services.
Medicaid will also purchase, rent or lease different types of assistive technology devices if they are considered medically necessary.
Sablan said many funding programs use “means testing” which is the method of determining eligibility for a program or service based upon income, resources or other measures of individual or family economic status.
Another alternative financing program for acquiring assistive technology devices or services is the CNMI Trankilu Program which offers loans to people with disabilities or their caregivers.
The loans are administered by a community-based organization and underwritten by the Bank of Saipan.
It is available to qualified CNMI residents with disability, or a nonresident whose child with disability is a U.S. citizen, or family members, advocates, employers or an authorized representative designated by an individual with disability to use the loan to buy assistive technology device or services to be used by the person with disability.
In terms of assistance, the CNMI Assistive Technology program offers a device loan program which is a short term loan on assistive technology devices.
Sablan said the purpose of the loan is to assist in decision-making, to serve as a loaner while the consumer waits for repairing or funding, to provide a short-term accommodation, and for other purposes.
Assistive technology devices include nonverbal aid such as electronic communication, learning devices such as computer games, vision devices such as enlarged print and speech synthesizers, and devices for physical disability such as input devices, voice recognition and touch screen devices.
For more information, call the CNMI Council on Developmental Disabilities office at 664-7003/5, email [email protected], or visit www.cnmicdd.org.
