Orrin Hatch: “today I pay tribute to the noteworthy efforts of the Utah Assistive Technology Program, which has helped empower…”

“today I pay tribute to the noteworthy efforts of the Utah Assistive Technology Program, which has helped empower individuals with disabilities, allowing them to live more rewarding, productive, and independent lives. An estimated 216,100 Utahns of all ages--approximately 10 percent of our state's population--live with a disabling condition. Assistive technology provides a means whereby these individuals can live and work in virtually all areas of society. Stated plainly, assistive technology not only improves the quality of life for individuals with disabilities but also enables the rest of us to have the benefit of their contributions. The term ``assistive technology'' encompasses all devices that improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities. Such devices can be as simple as a wheelchair or as high-tech as an electronic Liberator, a technological apparatus that makes communication possible for disabled individuals who are not able to speak. Organizations such as the Utah Assistive Technology Program provide services that assist disabled individuals in the selection and acquisition of these products. With the help of assistive technology, children have received a more meaningful and challenging education; adults have undertaken rewarding careers; and senior citizens have continued to live independently in their own homes. The Tech Act, as it is known, passed by Congress in 1988, has proven invaluable to the realization of these goals.”