Equipment Issues for Demonstration and Loan Programs

1
Equipment Issues for Demonstration and Loan
Programs

• Amy Goldman
• Pennsylvanias Initiative on Assistive Technology
• Kathy Griffin
• UCP of Idaho

2
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

3
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 RFBD pilot
• 2006 purchase for all ATRCs of TDDP equipment
  (donation a requirement of new TDDP bid!)

4
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 RFBD loaners (purchases made for
  ATLL)
• MARC
• Tech Fees lab

5
The Stuff Pennsylvanias 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!

6
Idahos Equipment Loan

• Wide 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

7
The Stuff Things to Think About

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

8
The Stuff Things to Think About

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

9
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

10
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

11
Insurance

• 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

• Demo center insurance policy unknown
• Temple self-insures for theft of property from
  its premises

12
Insurance

• UCPs insurance covers theft from premises and
  fire/water.
• Dont pay for insurance with the shipping to
  date UPS has only lost one item worth less than
  the 100 standard UPS insurance.

13
Insurance

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

14
Insurance

• The borrower is responsible
• The borrower is liable for theft
• Horror stories

15
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

16
Warranties

• Have warranties for high-end augmentative
  communication devices
• Many years the budget for warranties is higher
  than the budget for new equipment

17
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!

18
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)

19
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

20
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

21
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

22
Repairs and Maintenance

• Limited in-house computer repair or maintenance
  (e.g. wiping hard drive and re-installing
  software)
• Dont attempt repairs that may void warranty
• Charge batteries prior to sending out (but
  sometimes items dont hold charge)
• Surface cleaning
• Replace rather than sterilize (e.g. sip and puff)

23
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

24
Repairs and Maintenance

• Normal use no consumer liability
• Challenge Borrowers 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

25
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!

26
Updating Equipment ATLL

• Challenge to identify when inventory product is
  outdated (cant 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!

27
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)

28
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.