What are U.S. and Canada Agencies Doing to Provide Assistive Technology?

Medical, Health, and Laboratory • Oct 13, 2015

“How a society treats its disabled is the true measure of a civilization.” – Chen Guangcheng

Long overdue, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was enacted in 1990 by the U.S. Congress. As you likely know, the legislation is a wide-ranging civil rights law that prohibits discrimination based on disability. For the purposes of this research and analysis, our team examined government bid requests for services and solutions that are specifically intended to “assist” those with disabilities.

As we learned and you will see, many public sector agencies and communities throughout the United States, and Canada, are addressing and assisting those with disabilities. Included in these bid requests are assistive technologies, equipment, solutions and services. It is our contention that these people are acting upon these needs, not because they’re required to do so, see ADA, but because it’s the right thing to do.

Many are aware of how much you can learn from your children. I have a sense of caring for others and have a deep appreciation for the kindness and compassion shown by others. I give back, have volunteered for various organizations, worked in healthcare for many years and seen firsthand the benefits of caring for those in need. In addition, it is my eldest son, a Special Education teacher and coach, who has served as an example for me, increasing my awareness and certainly having that effect on others. Since he was quite young, he has exemplified reaching out and caring for others. I am proud of him.

Among the many articles we read in support of our research, we reviewed this article in State Tech Magazine by Heather B. Hayes. An established author on technology, business and education, Heather covers how “assistive technology and mobile devices help people with disabilities regain their independence and live without limits”.

We identified 454 bid requests submitted by U.S. and Canadian government agencies, specifically for assistive technology, equipment, services, and programs. We drilled down and looked more closely at this data from the past twelve months. The following charts and actual bid requests reflect our inquiry.