The barrier
	•	Funding
	•	Third party funders are becoming scarce
	•	Traditional credit financing has been unavailable
	•	“Payers of last resort”
What do you do when someone needs AT?
	•	Develop a funding plan
	•	Medical vs Education vs Vocational need
	•	Develop a plan of attack and know your resources
Alternative financing programs
AFPs are here to serve communities that don’t have access to traditional financing 

Some are CDFIs 

Narrow focus (tribes, people with disabilities, locations, etc.)
Credit able
	•	Georgia’s alternative financing program for assistive technology
	•	Thanks to a partnership between Center for Financial Independence and Innovation and Tools for Life
First step program 
	•	For Georgians with disabilities
	•	Small low interest loans to establish/repair credit
	•	Can be used for anything 
	•	4% interest
	•	$1,000 max
	•	18 months max term 
Loan details
	•	Range: $250-$10,000
	•	Length: 6 months-8 years
	•	Interest: 3%-8%
How to prepare for your loan
	•	Know your finances
INCOME

Earned Income
	•	Received from work
Unearned Income
	•	Pensions, SSI, etc
Gross Earning
	•	Income before taxes
Net Earnings
	•	Income after taxes

EXPENSES

Fixed Expenses
	•	Do not change monthly
	•	Rent, mortgage, insurance
Flexible Expenses
	•	Can change monthly
	•	Utilities, groceries, etc
Discretionary Expenses
	•	Items not necessary
	•	Eating out, movies, etc
What can I afford?
	•	Determine how much you need to cover all necessary expenses
	•	Subtract from NET (after taxes) income
Net Income
- Fixed Expenses
_____- Flexible Expenses_____
= Money available for loan
It’s not just a loan, it’s a possibility

	•	Access to technology to increase independence
	•	Home mod, so stay in your home
	•	Vehicle mod for continued vehicle access
	•	Better credit
There are four required presentations to be eligible for the first step,
1- thanking basics
2- financial health
3- basics of credit
4- AT Acquisition

Online resource, dollars and cents
	•	One stop shop
	•	Financial information and advocacy resource
	•	Designed for ease of use and access of information
	•	www.gatfl.gatech.edu/ds
Grants, a.k.a. unicorns
	•	Grants = money you don’t have to pay back
	•	Increasingly hard to find as an individual
	•	Some orgs have limited funds
	•	Funds go FAST

United cerebral palsy bellows fund
	•	United Cerebral Palsy
	•	Funds go FAST
	•	For AT 
	•	Nominations through local affiliate 
info@ucp.org
ALS Association 
	•	$500 each cycle 
	•	No more than $1,000/year
	•	ALS/PLS diagnosis
	•	Reimbursement
http://webga.alsa.org  

Association of blind citizens
	•	Will cover up to 50% of a device
	•	Minimum $200 Maximum $6,000
	•	<$50,000 income and <$20,000 assets
	•	For Blind and low vision
	•	www.blindcitizens.org

Best practice: tried to call you back, resources for testing before investing

Your local assistive technology act program

	•	Schedule a demo
	•	Assessments
	•	Lending library
	•	App finder database (tfl)
https://www.at3center.net 

Blaze sports
	•	26 different sports programs
	•	No fees to loan equipment, must be a Blaze member
	•	Fill out paperwork, skills assessment and fitting
	•	Consumer responsible for additional equipment
www.blazesports.org 
FODAC
	•	Refurbished items can be cost effective
	•	FODAC is a partnering agency and have programs for:
	•	Durable Medical Equipment
	•	Home Mods
	•	ReMount
	•	Disposable Medical  Equipment 
www.fodac.org 
Center for the visually impaired
	•	VisAbility Store
	•	New View Adult Rehab Services
	•	STARS (Social, Therapeutic, Academic Recreational Services)
	•	InfoLink
www.cviga.org 

Acquiring affordable assistive technology
National deaf blind equipment distribution program
	•	Now a nationwide program
	•	Provides access to people with dual sensory disabilities 
	•	 http://icanconnect.org  

Georgia Lions lighthouse

	•	Programs for Vision and Hearing
	•	1 pair of glasses every three years
	•	Mobile eye clinic
	•	Up to 2 digital hearing aids
	•	1 set of ear molds
	•	3 year service warranty
Brain and spinal injury trust fund commission
	•	Direct grants to eligible applicants
	•	Can be used for home mods AT and recreation
	•	Visit website for eligibility requirements
www.bsif.state.ga.us 

Equipment reuse and reutilization
Affordable way of getting necessary equipment

Look for a vendor that has the knowledge and capacity to sanitize and repair used equipment

Encourage exchanges amongst consumers directly or through an established program 
 www.passitoncenter.org 

Blind bargains
	•	Classifieds
	•	Weekly podcast
	•	AT News

National pass it on center
The Pass It On Center, as the National Assistive Technology Device Reutilization Coordination and Technical Assistance Center, fosters improvements in AT reuse practices and network among AT Reuse programs by:
	▪	Creating a national network to help current and emerging reuse programs share information to improve their services.
	▪	Providing technical assistance and support to current and emerging programs by conducting site visits, teleconferences and monthly webinars.
	▪	Forging relationships and working with AT vendors and manufacturers to identify areas of mutual concern and collaboration by having a presence at national AT conferences.
	▪	Identifying successful practices and quality indicators of AT reuse programs and promoting their use through an online Knowledge Base and program assessment tool, known as Indicators of Quality for AT Reuse (IQ-ATR).
	▪	Exploring collaboration with public and private organizations that are interested in effectively reutilizing AT they purchase.
	▪	Promoting public awareness of the economic and environmental benefits of AT reuse.

Questions?
Comments?

For more information visit:
www.gatfl.org 

E-mail: danny.housley@gatfl.gatech.edu

Call: 404-395-7029