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Analysis of the First Year of Operation of the Federal Alternative Financing Program for Individuals with Disabilities: Providing Low Cost Loans for the Purchase of Assistive Technology.

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Bibliographic Details
Title: Analysis of the First Year of Operation of the Federal Alternative Financing Program for Individuals with Disabilities: Providing Low Cost Loans for the Purchase of Assistive Technology.
Language: English
Authors: RESNA: Association for the Advancement of Rehabilitation Technology, Arlington, VA.
Availability: Association for the Advancement of Rehabilitation Technology (RESNA), 1700 N. Moore St., Suite 1540, Arlington, VA 22209-1903. Tel: 703-524-6686; Fax: 703-524-6630; Web site: http://www.resna.org. For full text: http://www.resna.org/AFTAP/library/AFPreport.pdf.
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 13
Publication Date: 2002
Sponsoring Agency: National Inst. on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (ED/OSERS), Washington, DC.
Document Type: Reports - Descriptive
Descriptors: Adults, Assistive Technology, Computers, Disabilities, Educational Technology, Elementary Secondary Education, Federal Aid, Federal Programs, Financial Needs, Financial Services, Financial Support, Loan Repayment, Mobility Aids, Participant Characteristics, Program Design, Program Effectiveness, State Federal Aid
Abstract: This report analyzes the first year of the Federal Alternative Financing Program (AFP), a program designed to help individuals with disabilities who need to purchase assistive technology (AT) find a way to pay for the equipment. The program receives funding under Title III of the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 and provides low-cost financing for AT devices and services for adults and children with disabilities. In October 2000, six states (Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Virginia) began offering AFP loans to individuals with disabilities through $3.8 million in federal grants. This federal money was matched dollar for dollar by the states. The states that received funding used different loan models, including revolving loan programs, loan guarantee programs, and interest buy-down models. Information on the individual loan applications was reported by five states. Analysis of this first year data (n= 312) indicates the majority of those requesting loans for AT were the consumers themselves, while the remaining 26.4% were representatives of the persons who were seeking loans to purchase AT. Overall, 45.8% of loan requests were for transportation or vehicle modifications and 35.6% were for computer equipment or computer access. (CR)
Entry Date: 2004
Accession Number: ED479679
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:This report analyzes the first year of the Federal Alternative Financing Program (AFP), a program designed to help individuals with disabilities who need to purchase assistive technology (AT) find a way to pay for the equipment. The program receives funding under Title III of the Assistive Technology Act of 1998 and provides low-cost financing for AT devices and services for adults and children with disabilities. In October 2000, six states (Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Virginia) began offering AFP loans to individuals with disabilities through $3.8 million in federal grants. This federal money was matched dollar for dollar by the states. The states that received funding used different loan models, including revolving loan programs, loan guarantee programs, and interest buy-down models. Information on the individual loan applications was reported by five states. Analysis of this first year data (n= 312) indicates the majority of those requesting loans for AT were the consumers themselves, while the remaining 26.4% were representatives of the persons who were seeking loans to purchase AT. Overall, 45.8% of loan requests were for transportation or vehicle modifications and 35.6% were for computer equipment or computer access. (CR)