Transcript ATIA Member Meeting Chicago

Including AT, AT Reuse and
Emergency Preparedness in
Pre-Service Training
Amy Goldman, Temple University
and
Sara Sack, University of Kansas
11/4/2011
Brought to you in part by the…
www.passitoncenter.org
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Roadmap for this session
1. Are YOU ready?? Personal preparedness for college students
2. Personal preparedness for people with disabilities who use AT
How might the Pass It On Center and/or your state’s AT Act
program help?
3. Identify relevant requirements in the Codes of Ethics, Scope of
Practice covering members of professional associations, as it
relates to responsibilities regarding emergency preparedness.
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Why AT and Emergency Preparedness in Preservice Training?
• All of us are responsible for being prepared! (AT providers can’t
help others if they themselves are impacted)
• AT is key to the independence of people with disabilities
• Access to AT - and therefore, independence - may be lost as a
result of emergencies (e.g. house fire) and disasters (large
scale flooding)
• Many of the AT-related professions articulate professional
responsibilities in emergency preparedness, and pre-service
professionals should be aware of those obligations
• AT service providers have great opportunities to discuss
individual preparedness – and they may be the only ones who
have the conversation!
Strategy One: Make it “personal”
• Discuss the overall importance of being ready for disasters and
emergencies. Have any of the students been affected by
emergency or disaster? How? Did this affect any of the “tools”
they use for living, working, or going to school – their car,
computer, etc.? What did they learn?
• Do the students have a “go kit” in the dorm? At home?
http://www.ready.gov/america/getakit/
• What has their college done to “get ready”? For
what hazards? http://www.temple.edu/safety/tuready/index.html
Where is the information?
Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/chicagohandouts
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“Getting Ready” Considerations for AT Users
• Have a comprehensive listing of all AT used at home, at school,
or at work
• Register products. Maintain current records of the devices and
related peripherals: manufacturer /vendor contact information;
make; model; serial number; payment source
• Tag devices and peripherals with identifying information
• Have key operating instructions available (e.g. using a power
chair in manual mode)
• Keep current evaluation reports, prescriptions, and product
information in a place (off site?) with other key health-related
information
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Strategy Two: Understanding public systems
• This may already be a part of the curriculum!
• Define assistive technology devices and services
• Discuss how AT is within the scope of practice of the profession
• Review how public systems (e.g. education; vocational
rehabilitation) may have responsibility for the provision of
(payment for) AT devices and services
• Provide scenarios that address emergencies/disasters that may
impact access to AT devices and services; how might the
impact be mitigated? How can the professional assist in
planning?
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Assistive Technology
• AT device: 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 the
functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities
• AT service: any service that directly assists an individual with a
disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive
technology device (evaluation, purchasing, selecting/designing
or adapting, coordination of device use or services, device
training, or expanding the availability of AT)
Education
• IDEA
• Part C, IDEA – infants and toddlers
• AT can be provided as an integral part of a child’s special
education, as a related service to special education, or as a
supplementary aid or service to special education (34 CFR
300.308).
• AT devices and services as “considered” (special factors) and
as indicated, subsequently specified in the IEP.
• AT may also be part of a “504 plan”
Education: What if…
• A fire in has compromised the electronics of the elevator that Max uses, as
specified in his 504 plan. The elevator will probably be out of use for up to two
months.
• Mary’s scanner, part of her Kurzweil 3000 system, was lost in a fire that
completely destroyed her family’s home. She depends on this system to
complete her homework.
• Mitzi’s adapted stroller, purchased by Medicaid as a specified in her IFSP, was
totaled when her dad wrecked his car.
• Marlene’s computer adaptations, available to her in the high school computer
lab, are significantly damaged by a flood that affected half of the lab.
• Mark no longer has access to the CCTV he needs, after his junior high was
closed on account of structural damage resulting from a recent earthquake.
• Maddie’s school is about to re-open after the hurricane. However, the SLP
who knew about her SGD evacuated to a nearby state and is probably not
returning.
Education: What if…
• The disaster/emergency happens at school? Is there a
plan?
• In the case of emergency or disaster, does the school still
have the obligation to provide?
• Who pays for a replacement device? Is there insurance
(school; homeowner’s) or other assistance (FEMA)
• What happens while you are figuring it out, or obtaining
the replacement device? What is the “short-term” fix?
• Who is responsible for making this happen?
• How can we plan?
What can we include in pre-service education?
• Address the consideration of AT and the obligation of the
school district to provide AT (including IDEA Parts B and
C, as well as Section 504)
• Address personal emergency preparedness and
individual responsibilities within transition activities
• Include emergency/disaster scenarios for discussion
• Target: pre-service practitioners in the schools (e.g.
educators, special educators, speech-language
pathologists, OTs)
Rehabilitation Act
• Purpose of the Rehabilitation Act is to empower persons with
disabilities to maximize employment, economic self-sufficiency,
independence and inclusion and integration into society.
• Title I of the Rehabilitation Act is to provide a comprehensive,
coordinated, effective, efficient, and accountable program that is
designed to assess, plan, develop, and provide vocational
rehabilitation (VR) services for individuals with disabilities,
consistent with their strengths, resources, priorities, concerns,
abilities, capabilities, and informed choice, so that they may
prepare for and engage in gainful employment.
Employment
• Rehabilitation technology or the systematic application of
technologies to meet the needs of and address barriers
confronted by individuals with disabilities in areas which include
education, rehabilitation, employment, transportation,
independent living, and recreation. The term includes
rehabilitation engineering, assistive technology devices and
services.
• The AT Act of 1998 definition of AT devices and services is
incorporated into the assessment for determining eligibility and
VR needs and on the individualized plan for employment (IPE).
Employment: What if…
• Leo’s computer and printer, provided with partial funding from VR to
support his telework, were destroyed when a lightening strike hit his
home.
• Leanne uses a power chair. After an electrical main was damaged, her
office building was evacuated and closed for 3 days. The firemen
carried her down 8 flights of stairs, but her wheelchair remained in the
building.
• Lawrence left his Braille notetaker in his house which is now
uninhabitable due to flooding. He completely depends upon his
notetaker to do his job.
• Lincoln’s hearing aids, funded by VR, were lost in the process of
evacuating. He depends upon them at work.
• Luckily, Lisbeth was at work when the tornado demolished her home.
However, her wheelchair battery charger was in the house.
Employment: What if…
• Does the employer have the obligation to provide?
• Does VR have the obligation to provide?
• Who pays for a replacement device (or component)? Is
there insurance (from the employer, homeowner’s) or
other assistance (Red Cross? FEMA?)
• What happens to the individual’s ability to return to work
while you are figuring it out, or obtaining the
replacement device? What is the “short-term” fix?
• Who is responsible for making this happen?
• How can we plan? (What is the AT provider’s role?)
What can we include in pre-service education?
• Address the consideration of AT and the
obligation of the employer to provide AT
• Address the consideration of AT and the
obligation of the vocational rehabilitation
“system” to provide AT
• Include emergency/disaster scenarios for
discussion
• Target: pre-service rehabilitation counselors,
all (future employers!)
Strategy Three: Professional Responsibilities
• Does the national association refer to emergency preparedness
and the role of the professional in a position paper? Scope of
practice? Code of Ethics?
• Have students search those documents for references and
report back.
• If there are no references: how can students, professionals,
and consumers work to assure considerations of the role of
professionals in emergency preparedness and response?
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American Speech-language Hearing Association
(ASHA)
• Audiologists and SLPs have emerging roles in emergency
preparedness. They may be responsible for educating the firstresponse teams or emergency-care providers and for assisting with
the development of emergency or disaster preparedness plans.
Audiologists can educate first-responders and providers about
communicating with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing and
about the likelihood of ear trauma, temporary or permanent hearing
loss, and tinnitus among victims on the scene of blast-related
incidents.
• SLPs can educate first-responders and health care providers about
the communication needs of persons who rely on augmentative and
alternative communication systems and individuals with intellectual
disabilities, dementia, traumatic brain injury, and speech and
language impairments.
Nunez, Beamer, Deussing,Paul & Aulbach, 2008
http://www.asha.org/Publications/leader/2008/080617/080617b.htm
American Occupational Therapy Association
(AOTA Disaster Preparedness Concept Paper, 2005)
• OTs can assist individuals and communities in coping with disaster situations
and in returning to optimal occupational performance (Rosenfeld, 1982; 1989)
• In disaster situations the focus of OT is to facilitate engagement in occupation
in order to support participation in adaptive disaster recovery and resumption
of valued life roles and activities (AOTA, 2002)
• Working together with the client, OTs can plan and implement interventions
that enable people to reestablish balance in daily life in activities of daily living,
work, leisure, and social participation
• OTs need to be knowledgeable about how national, state, and local
governments and private agencies involved in disaster management are
organized, and how to gain entry into these systems
• Knowledge of available resources and understanding of local plans for
responding is critical if the therapist is to facilitate rapid humanitarian
responses.
Strategy Four: Find other unique
opportunities within the curriculum
Examine existing curricula for
opportunities to embed emergency
preparedness issues in topics such as
transition, universal design, public
health, counseling, independent living,
disability studies, advocacy, etc.
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Example (for SLPs): Vocabulary
• Vocabulary selection is part of the pre-service curriculum related
to augmentative and alternative communication (AAC)
• Vocabulary related to emergencies/disasters should be part of
the “adult vocabulary”
• Evidence-based sample vocabulary available at
http://disabilities.temple.edu/aacvocabulary/EMERGENCY.shtml
• Growing availability of no- or low-cost “apps” to enhance
communication, may be available to emergency responders as
well as to people with complex communication needs
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Strategy Five: Provide resources
Assistive Technology Act programs in each state/territory
(http://resnaprojects.org/scripts/contacts.pl)
Device lending (to make a decision, as well as for interim use
while funding/replacement is pending)
Device demonstrations (to make a decision)
Alternate financing programs (including but not limited to cash
loan programs)
**Reutilization programs (open-ended loan; refurbish; exchange;
see www.passitoncenter.org)
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Amy Goldman
[email protected]
Sara Sack
[email protected]
Pass It On Center - AT Reuse Strand
DISCLAIMER
This work is supported under fiveyear cooperative agreement
#H235V060016 awarded by the
U.S. Department of Education,
Office of Special Education and
Rehabilitative Services, and is
administered by the Pass It On
Center of the Georgia Department
of Labor – Tools for Life. However,
the contents of this publication do
not necessarily represent the policy
or opinions of the Department of
Education, or the Georgia
Department of Labor, and the
reader should not assume
endorsements of this document by
the Federal government or the
Georgia Department of Labor.
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Thank you for attending this session
• CEUs – Session Code: HE-02
• More Info at: www.atia.org/CEU
• For ACVREP, AOTA and ASHA CEUs, hand in completed Attendance
Forms to REGISTRATION DESK at the end of the conference.
• For general CEUs, apply online with The AAC Institute:
www.aacinstitute.org
• Session Evaluation
• Please help us improve the quality of our conference by completing your
session evaluation form.
• Completed evaluation forms should be submitted as you exit or to staff at
the registration desk.
• Handouts
• Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/chicagohandouts
• Handout link remains live for 3 months after the conference ends.
Handouts are available at: www.atia.org/chicagohandouts
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15th Biennial Conference of the International Society for
Augmentative and Alternative Communication
ISAAC 2012 July 28-August 4, 2012
Call for papers open now! www.isaac2012.org