Rehabilitation Technology And Employment Louisiana Workforce Commission, Louisiana Rehabilitation Services

New Standards for Assistive Technology Based on drastic state cuts to the Vocational Rehabilitation budget, the following standard-purchase items are the maximum-cost equipment that can be purchased for our consumers.

Standard Wheelchair

Prosthetics

Vehicle Modifications

Home Modifications

Manual Ceiling Lift

JUST KIDDING! LRS continues to provide quality AT Services despite cutbacks and restructuring. This program overviews how LRS Counselors help Job-Seekers in their quest for employment

Louisiana Rehabilitation Services Mission To assist persons with disabilities in their desire to obtain or maintain employment and/or to achieve independence in their community by providing rehabilitation services and by working cooperatively with business and other community services.

Scope of Services Louisiana Workforce Commission (LWC), LRS can provide these services to persons with disabilities who are seeking, or wish to retain employment: Rehabilitation Engineering Assistive Technology Services Assistive Technology Devices

Need Determination Counselors are authorized to pay for evaluation or assessments to verify need for RT/AT services or devices. Comparable Services must be used if known and available (for example insurance carrier or Medicare). Price-comparison quotes are not required if the AT is personalized or custom-fit.

Rehabilitation Engineering Services are: Services provided or supervised by a licensed, professional engineer if: Service involves design or modifications The problem is complex Equipment is very costly (structural modification to a building for example) Safety and materials strength are factors

Assistive Technology Service is: a direct service to assist a person in selecting, acquiring or learning to use an assistive technology device. provided by therapists, educators, and specialists (ex: speech therapist, low vision specialist or others with Assistive Technology Practitioner (ATP) certification.

Assistive Technology Services may include: Selecting, designing, fitting, customizing, adapting, maintaining, repairing, or replacing assistive technology Evaluating, assessing the needs of the consumer (including functional evaluation in their personal living/working environment as in job or home modification-assessments)

Assistive Technology Services may include: Specialized training with assistive technologies (such as JAWS™ low-vision software) Augmentative Communication (devices and/or software) Adaptive driving systems (such as hand-controls, driving from a wheelchair)

Assistive Technology (AT) Devices are: “any items, pieces of equipment or system (whether ‘off-the-shelf’, modified, customized or fabricated) that will be used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capacities of persons with disabilities”

Examples of AT Devices: Aids for Daily Living (ADL tools) for eating, bathing, cooking, dressing and/or toileting. Augmentative Communication devices to assist with expressive and receptive communication. Computer adaptations: voice out-put or in-put, Braille, environmental controls etc.

More examples of AT devices: Wheelchairs and wheeled mobility devices Seating and positioning components (for wheelchair, driving or worksite seating, such as cushions or wedges) Vision or Hearing Aids (magnifiers, brailer devices, hearing amplifiers, text generators, eyeglasses or canes or video-relay phones

Prodigi® Digital Magnifier

Automatic Door Opener

Porch lift installation

Powered Wheelchair with vertical riser used by Pharmacist Powered Wheelchair used by Pharmacist

Electronic Driving Controls

Mechanical Hand Controls Mechanical hand Controls Push/Right Angle Push/Pull Push/Rock Push/Twist Mechanical hand Controls Mechanical hand controls are the most simple adaptive means of operating the accelerator and brake. They are physical attachments to the pedals and are operated by two separate motions. There are several types of mechanical controls—differentiated by the accelerator motion. A push/right-angle hand control operates with the handle being pushed forward for brake and by pulling down at a right angle for accelerator control. Sources: Creative Controls, Inc. Handicaps, Inc. M.P.S. Corporation Mobility Products and Design Wells-Engberg Company

Michelangelo® Prosthetic Hand by Otto Bok

Driving with artificial hands https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMjt6APemyI

ADA/UFAS Accessible Bus Stop For non-drivers, public, rural-urban transit options include on-demand, elderly-disabled transportation services under USC-49 5311, and 5210 programs funded with La Department of Transportation Development (DOTD)

Counselors are authorized to: Pay for evaluations/assessments by therapists, engineers and/or AT practitioners (ATP-certified) Request that vendors of AT provide a “try-before-buy” opportunity and set-up and training if required. Note: Consumers must acknowledge in-writing that they are satisfied with AT

Resources: Rehabilitation Engineering Society of North America (RESNA) http://www.resna.org/ Job Accomodation Network (JAN) http://askjan.org/ (800)526-7234   National Institute on Disability and Independent Living Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) https://www.acl.gov/about-acl/about-national-institute-disability-independent-living-and-rehabilitation-research Louisiana Assistive Technology Access Network (LATAN) Baton Rouge, LA, Director, Yakima Black https://www.latan.org/ (800)270-6185 Louisiana Workforce Commission, LRS http://www.laworks.net/workforcedev/lrs/lrs_regionaloffices.asp Louisiana Rehabilitation Services, AT Program Coordinator, John Schweitzer (225)219-2406