Located in:
- Program-Specific Requirements for Vocational Rehabilitation (Combined or General)
The Vocational Rehabilitation (VR) Services Portion of the Unified or Combined State Plan [13] must include the following descriptions and estimates, as required by section 101(a) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended by title IV of WIOA:
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[13] Sec. 102(b)(2)(D)(iii) of WIOA
- c. Cooperative Agreements with Agencies Not Carrying Out Activities Under the Statewide Workforce Development System
Describe interagency cooperation with and utilization of the services and facilities of agencies and programs that are not carrying out activities through the statewide workforce development system with respect to:
- c. Cooperative Agreements with Agencies Not Carrying Out Activities Under the Statewide Workforce Development System
c. 2. State programs carried out under section 4 of the Assistive Technology Act of 1998;
Current Narrative:
Center for Inclusive Design & Engineering (CIDE), formerly Assistive Technology Partners (AT Partners) through the University of Colorado Health Sciences Centers provides services statewide under the Assistive Technology Act of 1998. DVR’s Assistive Technology Coordinator is a member of the AT Coalition, which seeks to increase awareness and accessibility of assistive technology to Colorado residents. DVR and CIDE have a cooperative agreement in place outlining the manner in which the two programs work together to meet the assistive technology needs of individuals with disabilities. The agreement includes strategies for partnership regarding training for individuals with disabilities, their families, and DVR staff, as well as various resources for individuals to try, rent, or purchase assistive technology.
For example, DVR has a staff member knowledgeable in both assistive technology and the VR process who participates in the AT Coalition to promote access to AT for individuals with disabilities who are interested in employment. Both programs provide one another with cross training to ensure sufficient knowledge about each other's programs to support appropriate referrals and service coordination. DVR's Professional Learning and Development unit works with staff at CIDE when they identify a need for Rehabilitation Counselors or Rehabilitation Teachers to incrase their knowledge of AT to support the successful employment of VR participants. A variety of training and resources are available to DVR from CIDE at no cost. However, when more specialized or specific training is required, DVR and CIDE negotiate reasonable costs to cover the expense of developing and delivering relevant training.
CIDE maintains a website with resources to assist with finding and funding assistive technology. Training is available from CIDE to ensure DVR staff are able to assist individuals to navigate these resources in order to find appropraite AT resources. Both programs continue to explore additional strategies to improve access to assistive technology in Colorado, such as expanding an existing loan bank that was established through partnership with CIDE and the Colorado Department of Education.
Additionally, AT Partners is an approved vendor of DVR, giving DVR Counselors the ability to purchase rehabilitation technology services and devices when appropriate.