MassMATCH funds programs that support individuals with disabilities in living independently and achieving vocational or educational goals through assistive technology (AT) and related services. The initiative focuses on life transitions, ensuring that young people with disabilities have the AT resources they need to transition from school to community living, employment or higher education. It also provides adults and seniors with disabilities the information they need to maintain independence or move from long-term care facilities back into community settings.

In 2006, MassMATCH funded three community summer camp programs to help young people (ages 14–22) explore AT solutions for both recreational activities and independent living skills:

• Stavros’s Solutions Under the Sun – This program provided accessible outdoor activities such as hiking, rowing, biking, fishing and kayaking while integrating AT solutions for outdoor skills and life transitions. Over five weeks, 5–7 participants attended each session, learning about housing options, employment goals and accessible transportation.
• TeenFest by the Northeast Independent Living Program, Inc. – A three-week summer program for 15 participants that included field trips to AT resource centers, Verizon’s Communication Center for Customers with Disabilities, DragonFly Art, the Museum of Science and Northern Essex Community College. The program introduced attendees to AT and transition planning.
• Partners for Youth with Disabilities, Inc. (Boston) – A four-day intensive program held at the UMass Boston Adaptive Computer Lab, where 8–10 participants explored AT solutions for computer access, learned about AT funding, participated in leadership training for an online peer mentoring community and visited an accessible One-Stop Career Center in Boston.

For 2007–2008, MassMATCH launched TACLE (Transition Assistance to Community Living Environment) in partnership with Easter Seals Massachusetts. This initiative aims to assist residents of long-term care facilities in transitioning back into community living. Working alongside the Metro West Center for Independent Living, Easter Seals is developing a user-friendly AT assessment tool for case managers, social workers, healthcare providers and other professionals. This tool will help assess an individual’s AT needs and streamline the referral process. It will be distributed through MassMATCH regional expos and other outreach efforts, laying the groundwork for system-wide AT access where it is most needed—helping adults and seniors with disabilities regain independence in their own homes.