DEVELOPMENT OF AN INFORMATION SYSTEM ON THE QUALITY, AVAILABILITY AND PRICING OF ASSISTIVE DEVICES

ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY HAS HAD A MAJOR IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, ENABLING THEM TO CAPITALIZE ON THEIR ABILITIES AND MINIMIZE THE EFFECT OF THEIR DISABILITIES. SEVERAL EXCELLENT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE TO IDENTIFY ASSISTIVE DEVICES AND ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY SERVICE PROVIDERS, MOST NOTABLY ABLEDATA AND THE TRACE COOPERATIVE SERVICE DIRECTORY. HOWEVER, INFORMATION ABOUT THE QUALITY, AVAILABILITY, AND PRICING OF ASSISTIVE DEVICES AND ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY SERVICES IS NOT READILY AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES, PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILLITIES OR CLINICIANS RESPONSIBLE FOR PRESCRIBING SUCH DEVICES. CONSEQUENTLY, MOST INDIVIDUALS MUST RELY UPON PAST PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, ANECODTAL EVIDENCE FROM ACQUAINTANCES, OR OCCASIONAL ARTICLES IN THE CONSUMER OR PROFESSIONAL PUBLICATIONS TO OBTAIN ANY COMPARATIVE INFORMATION ON PRODUCTS, DEALERS, OR MANUFACTURERS REGARDING PRICE, QUALITY OF MERCHANDISE, OR THE QUALITY OF THE SERVICES PROVIDED. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO DEVELOP DURING PHASE I A PROTOTYPE DATABASE THAT CAN BE USED TO COLLECT AND DISSEMINATE DATA ON ASSISTIVE DEVICES, MANUFACTURERES OF THOSE DEVICES, AND DEALERS. USING A "BETTER BUSINESS BUREAU" APPROACH, WE PLAN TO DEVELOP AN EASY-TO-USE, EASY-TO-UPDATE DATABASE THAT INCORPORATES USER FEEDBACK ABOUT DEVICES THEY HAVE USED OR PRESCRIBED; READILY AVAILABLE COMPARATIVE DATA ON THE PRODUCTS THEMSELVES; PRICING OF THE PRODUCTS BY VARIOUS SUPPLIERS; AND CONSUMER INPUT ABOUT GOOD OR POOR SERVICE PROVIDED BY MANUFACTURERS AND/OR DEALERS. DURING PHASE II, WE WILL MODIFY AND IMPROVE THE DATABASE STRUCTURE; COLLECT APPROPRIATE DATA; AND CONDUCT A BETA TEST OF THE DATABASE.