Equipment Issues for Demonstration and Loan

Programs

Amy Goldman

Pennsylvania’s Initiative on Assistive Technology

Kathy Griffin

UCP of Idaho

Background: How we “do” Demos in PA

• Two “static” funded demonstration centers – array of low to high tech items (less AAC)

• Affiliate demo centers – provision of equipment in return for usage data

• 8 Regional “ATRCs” – low tech, some “on site” equipment courtesy of ATLL

• PIAT acts as an ATRC region and conducts demos

• “Demo on Demand” – required of ATRCs, may order equipment from ATLL

• Voluntary participation by ATLL “circulation department” staff

Purchase of Equipment - Demonstration

• Decisions left to Demonstration Centers; typically chose computer access, vision (e.g. CCTVs), and low-mid tech for ADLs in order to maximize funds

• Affiliate Centers: (1) Specializes in Deaf/Hard of Hearing so bought that kind of equipment ($2000 approximately); (2) Originally was going to buy computer access but leveraged funds from agency; purchased AAC (approximately $5000)

• ATRCs: No budget for purchase of demo equipment but full access to ATLL; ATRCs have loaner equipment from RFB&D pilot

• 2006 purchase for all ATRCs of TDDP equipment (“donation” a requirement of new TDDP bid!)

Demonstration Equipment: PIAT “central”

• Access to ATLL funds for “on site” equipment, primarily AAC purchases

• Low to Mid tech “kits” assembled over the years for train-the-trainer programs

• AT used by employee with disabilities (low vision aids including ZoomText, CCTVs)

• Partnerships: RFB&D loaners (purchases made for ATLL)

• MARC• Tech Fees lab

The “Stuff”: Pennsylvania’s AT Lending Library

• Originally did not include low – mid tech items that you could see at Radio Shack or Staples, buy and return, etc.

• Includes low-tech “kits” e.g. dressing kit, reacher kit, toy kits

• Resources permit acquisition of high-tech expensive items

• Includes “crummy” products: Consumer choice!

Idaho’s Equipment LoanWide range of assistive devices including:• Augmentative communication devices• Aids for daily living• Amplified phones and similar equipment for the

deaf & hard-of-hearing• Adapted computer hardware & software• Adapted & developmental toys• Switches• Books & videos

The “Stuff” – Things to Think About

• Regional sharing of expensive, low-utilization items (e.g. LC Technologies eye gaze system)

The “Stuff” – Things to Think About

• No funds for very expensive items such as an eye gaze system

Investment

• Demonstration equipment budget from federal funds “one time only” (05-06 funds)

• Support from demonstration centers’ agencies (renovation; inventory)

• Interaction with other agency programs to add to inventory (e.g. INH)

• Lending: Annual inventory budget approximately 280-300K

• Current inventory worth over 1.5M

Investment• Funding for equipment dependent on

additional grants

• Inventory valued approximately $350,000

• Partner with other agencies to house their loan-able equipment i.e. amplified phones from Council for the Deaf & Hard-of-Hearing

Insurance

• Demo center insurance policy unknown

• Temple “self-insures” for theft of property from its premises

• No separate insurance purchased for shipping to borrower/return

• UPS does pay a fractional claim for items they agree they lost

• Inventory housed in state agency/self-insured

Insurance

• UCP’s insurance covers theft from premises and fire/water.

• Don’t pay for insurance with the shipping – to date UPS has only lost one item worth less than the $100 standard UPS insurance.

Insurance

• Borrower responsibility• Borrower liability in case of theft• Stories!

Insurance

• The borrower is responsible

• The borrower is liable for theft

• Horror stories

Warrantees

• ATRCs responsible for maintaining demo equipment in working condition

• Warrantees allowable

• Cost-effective for high tech devices e.g. AAC; Braille note takers; laptops

• 3 year coverage• No “DIY” on

warranteed items

Warranties

• Have warranties for high-end augmentative communication devices

• Many years the budget for warranties is higher than the budget for new equipment

Other Considerations• Software maintenance agreements – a good

investment! (e.g. JAWS, ZoomText, Kurzweil, MAGic); usually includes initial purchase plus two upgrades

• Borrowers who want to help by sending faulty devices back to vendor/manufacturer for repair (rather than back to ATLL) and we get the bill!

Shipping• After staff, the biggest ATLL expense• Currently piggy-backs on State UPS contract

(future: DHL?)• No charges to borrower UNLESS they are

retrieving an item previously not returned in response to UPS tries

• Will pick up items from suspect borrowers (e.g. the paranoid nurse) or make other arrangements (e.g. for return via UPS drop off at Staples)

Shipping

• We pay to ship to them – they pay to ship back to us

• Our shipping costs are very low – around $800.00 last year

Shipping Lessons and Challenges

• Request adult signature of receipt

• Dr. Porch

• Large facilities or complexes

• Control number of “call tags”

• Large items in large cases

Shipping Challenges

• Some communities have no street addresses – the town is so small that everyone has a post office box at the one post office in town

• In only one case, however, were we unable to get delivery to their house – had to deliver it to the school instead

• School janitors have thrown away the special shipping boxes for aug comm equipment

Repairs and Maintenance• Limited in-house computer repair or

maintenance (e.g. wiping hard drive and re-installing software)

• Don’t attempt repairs that may void warranty

• Charge batteries prior to sending out (but sometimes items don’t hold charge)

• Surface cleaning• Replace rather than sterilize (e.g. sip and

puff)

Repairs and Maintenance

• Same at PA

• Really have gotten to know some of the technical support people – have even gotten Christmas candy from one tech support department

Repairs and Maintenance• “Normal use” – no consumer liability• Challenge: Borrower’s failure to return

“little pieces” (e.g. Cables, plugs, CDs, instruction manuals) despite packing slips

• Hint: Photocopy instruction manuals and documentation; make back-up CDs, purchase extra cables, batteries, etc.

• Challenge: Reluctance on part of staff of community DD providers to accept responsibility if item is damaged

Updating Equipment: ATLL• Few vendors offer trade-ins or upgrades

• Frustration: Vendors/manufacturers who accept our order for an existing model on the cusp of a new release!

Updating Equipment: ATLL• Challenge to identify when inventory product is

outdated (can’t vendors or manufacturers help out, here!)

• Policy: maintain in inventory if still supported even if not still sold (although we might “thin” the inventory of this product); may keep one even if no longer supported (e.g. for users who are “transitioning” from one device to another, are waiting for funding and their “old” device is not functioning)

• The risk of this policy!

Documentation in ATLL “kits”

• Need to identify in advance if alternate formats are needed

• Include manuals and other supportive materials from vendor/manufacturer

• Cheat sheets? Not at this time (but ATRC can provide via web search of available user friendly instructions, in the future we may have these linked from our site)

Documentation

• Include cheat sheets whenever possible

• Now include a spiral-bond notebook with notes about the device, hints, what is already on the device, etc.