President Bush last week signed a bipartisan measure that seeks to expand access to technology for individuals with disabilities.
The Assistive Technology Act of 2004, overseen by the Department of Education, won unanimous support in both the House and the Senate. The law was last reauthorized in 1998.
The legislation aims to provide more direct aid to individuals with disabilities, according to an Oct. 26 press release from the House Education and the Workforce Committee. It also encourages states to invest in programs that have been shown to be most effective in providing assistive technology.
Assistive-technology devices include a range of aids, such as wheelchairs, communication devices, and computer hardware.
“I know this will help states continue to make progress in their efforts to expand access to assistive technology, and that increasing numbers of individuals with disabilities will be able to participate in society more fully every day,” Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon, R-Calif., the lead sponsor of the House bill, said in the committee press release.
